Flight Lieutenant George Bellamy (class of 2014) enlisted with the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 2016 and currently serves as an NH90 Helicopter Pilot and Qualified Flying Instructor at 3 Squadron.

Bellamy graduated from the Royal New Zealand Air Force wings course in 2018 with a rare honour: the Baigent Memorial Shield, awarded for exceptional results during training.

At the time, the shield, the highest accolade for graduates, had been awarded only eight times since its inception in 1955. Bellamy was also presented with the De Lange Trophy as the pilot gaining the highest final flying mark.

When asked about his decision to enlist and the impact of his time at Wakatipu, Bellamy shared: "The outdoors has always been my happy place, and seeing helicopters helping people in need caught my eye. The Air Force was an amazing opportunity to become part of a bigger team that is there to help those in need in a number of different ways. Supporting disaster relief and search and rescue is one way of achieving that, both domestically in New Zealand and overseas.

"I had great teachers at Wakatipu who challenged me to achieve the goals that I set for myself. As an instructor, setting and maintaining high standards is the expectation. It’s a long process to get your Wings and qualify as an Air Force pilot, and it takes a lot of hard work and resilience to achieve the standards that you need, but it is one hell of a job!"

To learn more, you can read about one of Flight Lieutenant Bellamy's recent rescues here. 

Ngā mihi nui, Flight Lieutenant George Bellamy, for your service and for sharing your reflections with our Alumni Community.

Flight Lieutenant George Bellamy Pilots an NH90.