Learn to Fly
Learn to Fly
Learn to Fly
Learn to Fly
South Canterbury Aero Club Inc.
Richard Pearse Airport, Timaru
03 688 2355
Our Instructing Team
Celine Bennison
Chief Flying Instructor / Manager - B Category
Celine is a true South Canterbury Aero Club product. Celine started flying with the club with the intention of achieving her commercial pilot's license, after catching the flying bug travelling back and forward from Bahrain, Samoa, and the Cook Islands as a teenager.
Celine was raised in Auckland and went to school in Samoa and Bahrain before returning when her parents moved back to Timaru where her Father is from.
Celine completed her Private, Commercial, and Instructors rating with South Canterbury Aero Club all while being a Mum at the same time to her children Yasmeen and Ameer.
While learning to fly and completing her exams and training, Celine also jumped in and became the Club's Captain and the Young Eagles camp Mum/co-ordinator.
In October 2020 she achieved her C-Category instructor's rating and immediately jumped into the instructing team, inspiring and sharing her passion and knowledge with the next generation of club students and pilots. During this time Celine also learnt how to do formation flying, a form of flying she thoroughly enjoys! She then went on to acheive her B-Category Instructors Rating in 2022 and is also a Terrain and Weather Awareness instructor.
The students seem to truly love flying with Celine, as she has a great way of encouraging and supporting the students at the same time as maintaining high standards and levels of safety.
Her time away from the club and flying is spent with her children encouraging and supporting them from the sports field sidelines and the end of the Karate Dojo.
Ellie Keehan
Flying Instructor - C Category / Full Time
Ellie graduated from Air Hawkes Bay with her CCAT instructor rating and Diploma in Aviation in 2022. She had a fun year working on the ramp in Napier as a Loading Supervisor for Air New Zealand. Ellie then made the move from Napier to Timaru in September of 2023 to fly with us.
She brings a lot of colour and sparkles (and bubbles) to the place. Ellie is very passionate about instructing and finds it an extremely rewarding career pathway. Her favourite part of being a flight instructor is being able to inspire, educate and help students achieve their dreams of being a pilot.
Ellie has always wanted to fly in the South Island because she absolutely loves the mountains and wants to see more of what our beautiful country offers. When Ellie is not flying at the Aero Club you will probably find her taking photos of clouds and stars in the sky or somewhere by the mountains looking for cool rocks to add to her collection.
Mustafa Shekhi
Flying Instructor - B Category / Part Time
Mustafa aka Moose / Mus has been with the club since mid-2022, Mustafa gained his Commercial Pilots Licence with The International Aviation Academy of New Zealand in Christchurch before completing his C-Category instructors' rating with New Zealand International Pilot Academy in Wanganui.
Mustafa's awesome attitude toward instructing and club flying impressed Aaron who gave him the chance to fly a few trial flights under supervision, from there he quickly became a highly valued member of our instructing team.
Mustafa is full-time in aviation management for AirNZ managing the Timaru base and Terminal, but he instructs for us in his free time. Mustafa's aspirations are eventually to gain his A-category instructor's rating, with his immediate goals being to achieve his aerobatic instructor's rating and becoming a cub / tailwheel instructor.
Outside of work, he likes to spend time with his partner Becky who works as a lawyer and is also one of our committee members. Mus is also an awesome cook. If you're lucky enough to be invited for dinner, be warned! The after-dinner board game becomes highly competitive with him and Becky being a tough team to beat!
Aaron Pearce
Flight Instructor - B Category / Casual
Aaron was SCAC's Chief Flying Instructor and Manager from 2016 to 2023, originally from Invercargill where he completed his commercial pilots license and instructors rating.
Aaron now works full-time for the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand as part of their safety programs and the Work Together Stay Apart campaign. But still helps out around the club instructing on his days off.
In 2019, Aaron was awarded the Grand Masters medal from The Honorable Company of Air Pilots incorporating Air Navigators formerly known as the Guild of Air Pilots, for outstanding achievement in aviation.
Aaron has many hours of experience having accumulated over 4500 hours of purely flight instruction, in mostly general aviation aircraft including most common training aircraft found in New Zeland along with other aircraft like the Nanchang Cj6 warbird, Maules, Bonanzas Pipistrel Motor Gliders, microlights, Lightsports, Midget Mustangs, and Piper Cubs.
He is qualified to instruct aerobatics, mountain flying, terrain and weather awareness, night flying, spin avoidance and recovery and tailwheel. This means he can take you from 0 hours to a commercial license with an instructors rating and beyond.
Aaron is also a microlight flight examiner for Flying New Zealand.
Ben Williams
Flight Instructor - C Category / Part Time
Ben's connection with aviation started with the club, where he began as a Young Eagle. His journey into the skies began as he worked towards his Private Pilot License (PPL) with a successful flight test in June 2022.
Ben briefly ventured away to IAANZ but returned to his home club for training towards his C-Category flight instructor rating. While away at IAANZ, he successfully obtained his Commercial Pilot License (CPL) and Multi Engine Instrument Rating. His motivation is fuelled by a sense of community and a commitment to instil a passion for aviation in others. In the realm of instructing, Ben is eager to apply his knowledge and passion, fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment. He finds immense satisfaction in helping aspiring aviators embark on their flight training journey.
Ben has had some significant achievements, including his first solo flight on his 16th birthday. He has also been awarded with some scholarships along the way such as the Flying NZ Ross Macpherson Memorial Scholarship, the Prime Minister's Vocational Excellence Award, and the Pauwels Flying Scholarship Special Award.
Looking forward, Ben is enthusiastic about pursuing his B-Category flight instructor rating, aspiring to contribute even more to the aviation industry. When not at the club, Ben is working as a duty manager for his local supermarket.
Thrilled to be part of the SCAC team, Ben looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for aviation and assisting those taking their steps into the skies.