PhD student wins award to improve aviation safety

A doctoral student and former flight instructor at Massey University has won an award to support her contribution to aviation safety in New Zealand.

Tahlia Fisher was presented with the inaugural Ian Diamond Award by the Royal Aeronautical Society, which is worth $3,000 towards her PhD study.

Ms Fisher graduated from the School of Aviation in 2001 with a Bachelor of Aviation majoring in flight crew development, completed a Graduate Diploma in Aviation with distinction and worked at the Milson Flight Systems Centre training young pilots.

During her studies, she developed a keen interest in aviation safety matters and assisted the Transport Air Investigation Commission with accident investigations.

She joined Air New Zealand four years ago and now works as a senior safety specialist based at Auckland International Airport. She has been involved in investigations into the use of incorrect take-off performance data, a heavy landing in Brisbane, an inadvertent slide deployment, a flight departing with insufficient fuel, and a high speed rejected take-off in Narita.

Ms Fisher, of Titirangi in Auckland, will now combine her career with PhD research at Massey University into effective communication between pilots and maintenance engineers and the way this affects airline operations.

Frank Sharp, School of Aviation professional programmes manager, who nominated Ms Fisher for the award, says this is an important area of research for the aviation industry and her work will add to the body of knowledge.

“While it is suspected that ineffective communication between these two groups can have negative consequences with regard to safe and efficient airline operations, there is no empirical data to support this theory,” Mr Sharp says.

“Tahlia’s research proposes to undertake a series of studies within an airline environment following an inductive pattern of inquiry with a view to better understand both the nature in which pilots and engineers interact, and the way in which this affects airline operations.”

Ms Fisher’s supervisors at Massey are Dr Ross St George and Dr Ritchie de Montalk of the School of Aviation.

This was the inaugural award of the Ian Diamond award, which is made to an aviation professional wishing to pursue higher academic study that is relevant to the industry in New Zealand. It is in memory of Mr Diamond, a former Air New Zealand chief engineer who supported the education and ongoing career progression of young New Zealanders in the aviation industry.

The award medal, certificate and cheque towards her study were presented to Ms Fisher gala dinner in Auckland on Friday.