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Flying in the Family

She’s flown helicopters across the wastes of Antarctica, sweltered in the heat of East Timor, and taken tea with royalty. Meet Heather Peart, RNZAF pilot, current aide-de-camp to the Governor General.

A predilection for flying is part of Heather Peart’s bloodline — her uncle Alan was a Spitfire ace during the war, her cousin Susan Truman was one of the first two female pilots employed by Air New Zealand in the late 70s, and her father John remains a keen glider pilot.

As a teenager Heather would watch as her father headed skyward, and though she took a few lessons herself, a more visceral experience triggered her own decision to make flying — and the airforce — her career.

“I think I was about 12 at the time. I was standing on the beach near Ohakea and a pair of Skyhawks came roaring low overhead. It was an incredible rush — from that moment, my goal was to become an airforce pilot.”

As a student at Palmerston North Girls’ High School, Heather was bright, ambitious, but prudent. When she finished school she decided to defer the ambition to fly. “I was still keen on becoming a pilot, but I wanted to get a degree first. I wanted to experience university life, and have a good qualification behind me, in case I didn’t get into a wings course.”

Heather started at Lincoln, switched to an engineering intermediate year at Canterbury, and then — partly prompted by her mother — headed to Massey to work towards a Bachelor of Technology degree. “My mother had researched what was available, she knew the University had a good reputation. I had decided that I wanted a degree that was well respected, that had good job prospects at the end. So I chose the manufacturing and industrial technology option. I knew all the graduates in that area were always snapped up.”

It was a demanding course, with lots of contact hours and a high work load. “I was impressed by the teaching, the fact that many of the lecturers were consulting, or had small business ventures of their own. It was all very relevant to the workplace.”

Three years later, honours degree in hand, Heather was accepted for graduate recruit programmes with both NZ Steel and Mobil NZ. But the corporate lifestyle wasn’t to be. Heather’s application to the RNZAF wings course had been successful. “It was one of the greatest days of my life,” she recalls. “My dream of becoming an airforce pilot was coming true. I was over the moon.”

And on to the parade ground. Her airforce recruit course she remembers as drill, route-marching, then more drill. The student lifestyle was quickly purged from her system. Then came a 12-week officers’ course, learning leadership and the airforce way of doing things. “In retrospect, I wouldn’t have wanted to be too much older, otherwise I might not have handled being yelled at by the corporals … yet at the same time, I was making these fantastic friends. That sense of camaraderie helps get you through.”

Next came a survival course, in the bush near Auckland. “One of the most totally full-on experiences I’ve ever had,” says Heather. The scenario: staying alive after ejecting over hostile territory. “It’s amazing, the effects on your body, when you don’t eat for seven days and its freezing cold. There’s no sleeping bag, you build your own shelter and keep the fire burning 24 hours a day … we were like a pack of zombies in the end, craving things like pizza, fantasising about our favourite toppings. It was all quite surreal.”

All of this was a prelude to the business of flying. At the wings course at Ohakea, training began in earnest. Half the day was spent in the classroom learning theory, the other half in CT-4E Airtrainers flying circuits. The wings course was tough: on each flight the students either passed or failed, so the pressure was constant. “People can fail at anytime. We had earlier lost two on the officers’ course at Woodbourne, then another three on the wings course at Ohakea, from an intake of 11. It was hard, seeing people you had become close to getting chopped.”

After the Airtrainer came four months in a Macchi MB339CB jet. “I really enjoyed flying jets. Flying a Macchi at 250 feet and 300 knots is a great way to clear the mind.”

Heather graduated with her wings as a pilot officer in 1996, after earlier deciding helicopters were her preference. Choppers had a more diverse role, crews often had exciting postings.

Her conversion training at Hobsonville was in a Bell 47 Sioux helicopter — the one with the lattice tail boom that looks like something from Mash. Her experience of the Sioux: “At the start it’s like balancing on a ball, feeling that at any time you’re going to fall off. You say to yourself ‘Oh my God, I will never get the hang of this,’ but then it clicks.”

The question has to be asked: What it is like being a woman who is driven to become an airforce pilot? Heather had chosen her parents well. “We have quite a number of strong, successful women in our family, so the role models were there; the support, the belief that if you apply yourself, you can choose whatever career you like.”

Although the RNZAF itself has accepted women as pilots since 1988, they are still few in number. Heather was the only woman on her wings course. Were there problems? “There were a few comments,” says Heather evenly. “But it was nothing I couldn’t handle. And once you prove yourself, it becomes less of an issue. On 3 Squadron nobody cares, people are long past that issue. I find if there is a resistance to women becoming pilots, it’s mostly among civilians.”

On completion of the Sioux course, Heather moved on to the Iroquois to complete her conversion training. This included the first of many trips to Seattle, to practise emergency and instrument flying in a simulator. Then she was given a two-month posting to Bougainville, as part of an unarmed Australia–New Zealand truce monitoring group. “Bougainville was fantastic — the classic tropical environment. Thick rainforest, massive downpours every afternoon, very wet, humid and hot,” she recalls. “You’re sitting there in a clearing with your flak jacket on, waiting for passengers and dripping with sweat. Then when you take off, you always have to watch out for downpours, for thunder and lightning. If you want a weather forecast, it’s a case of sticking your head out the window to see what’s coming.”

The Squadron were living in tents on an old wharf, flying supplies to troops at very remote locations on the island. “We also flew the locals around, so they could have their political meetings, and we evacuated a number of women in difficult childbirth. Flying in those circumstances was very satisfying". For the villagers, the sight of the “orange roughie red ” helicopters provided a welcome respite from nine years of civil war. “The people all came out to wave, they were thrilled to see us, we would be surrounded by hundreds of people when we landed. But you had to be careful, because not everybody wanted us there. So you could never totally relax.”

Her next foray was Antarctica. There she supported the New Zealand Antarctic Programme, flying scientists and equipment to remote locations, and ferrying VIPs about the ice. “Flying in Antarctica was one of the highlights of my life,” says Heather. “The scenery and wildlife were amazing, the social life was great and the flying conditions were totally different. You often rely on GPS as a backup, because your perceptions of distance are totally shot in that vast expanse of ice. “And although we often had perfect flying conditions, you always had to have your wits about you. A whiteout in Antarctica would be any pilot’s worst nightmare.”

Then it was on to East Timor as part of Operation Farina under Interfet, later to become Operation Castell under UNTAET. The Squadron — armed this time — was deployed to Dili, then Suai, close to where the militia were making incursions across the border. Heather’s job in Timor was as air liaison officer, assigning helicopters from a multi-nation pool, in response to requests for air support. She found the job very challenging, particularly when flying hours were restricted and heavy rains made roads impassable. A rifle was carried at all times. “This tasking of helicopters was very hard work over long hours, but was compensated for by the incredible reception we got from the locals... It was amazing, considering what they’d been through, the way children would run out on the street shouting ‘We love you Kiwi.’ They were so happy to have the peacekeepers there — you really did feel you were making a difference.”

Back in New Zealand, Heather took time out for an overseas holiday with boyfriend Daniel O’Reilly — who also flies Iroquois for 3 Squadron — and then began her year-long secondment as aide-de-camp (ADC) to the Governor General. “I was encouraged to apply by one of my former instructors on the wings course. He’d done it, and thought I would find it interesting.”

The Governor General has two ADCs, working alternate duty weeks. They accompany Sir Michael and Lady Hardie Boys at each of the many functions held at Government House and throughout New Zealand each year: the investitures and diplomatic receptions, the conferences, concerts, exhibitions and community morning teas. An ADC will be present at every event.

The ADC is therefore a constant part of the Government House household, which regularly
accommodates Royal Family members, Heads of State and other distinguished guests. An ADC is expected to make conversation with the guests, welcome them, farewell them, make them feel welcome. “I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started. It took a while to learn the protocols and how I was expected to behave. Being on staff at Government House is like working in a large, incredibly diverse family. We have a lot of fun.”

Meeting diplomats and working so closely with the Governor General could have been intimidating. Heather took a philosophical approach. “I guess I took the attitude that behind the title there’s a person, and that person usually appreciates being put at their ease in a new environment. In these circumstances, my uniform is a perfect conversation starter.”

An ADC will also accompany Sir Michael and Lady Mary at other times. “On our duty week, if their excellencies want to go for a walk at 7:00 in the morning, we go with them. We have breakfast, lunch and dinner with them. We sometimes go shopping with them. Sir Michael seldom goes anywhere by himself.”

Part of the role is traditional — the Queen’s representative in New Zealand is always accompanied by a military aide. The job also requires the ADC to “maintain a close and courteous relationship” with the Governor General, family and guests, and to assist with security, maintain communications and keep official staff informed of his movements.

And the best part about the job? “I really enjoy the travel, and meeting a wide range of people, from all walks of life. The job also provides a real insight into the workings of Government House, which is very interesting, and the social life is something else.”

Sir Michael was due to finish his term as Governor General on 21 March, after which Heather will continue as an aide-de-camp to the incoming Dame Silvia Cartwright.

Then in January 2002, Heather goes back to 3 Squadron, which is soon to move to Ohakea. “I’m sure that when the time comes, I’ll really enjoy being back behind the controls of an Iroquois. I’ve loved this job — it’s been a fantastic experience — but nothing beats the thrill of flying.”