Sri Lankan-Born Aucklander Roshane Mendis Nears RNZAF Pilot Wings

When Roshane Mendis boarded an aeroplane in Sri Lanka at the age of six, he had never seen one up close before.

He was travelling with his mother to begin a new life in New Zealand.

That first flight left a lasting impression.

Two decades later, Mendis is now a trainee pilot with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, flying the T-6C Texan II and only months away from earning his Wings.

It is the kind of story that feels almost too neat to be true.

A child who arrived in Auckland fascinated by his first aircraft is now preparing for a career in military aviation.

A childhood move that changed everything

Mendis, now 26, came to New Zealand after his mother was offered a job.

He remembers arriving with very little knowledge of the country beyond what he had seen on television.

“The amazing scenery on the Anchor milk ads” was one of the few things he knew about New Zealand.

The move also brought a very different education system.

Mendis described Sri Lanka as highly competitive, with children often pushed into extra tutoring from a young age.

His experience at Howick Primary School was very different.

He found the environment calmer and more relaxed, and says he performed well academically.

From there, he went on to St Mark’s Catholic School and Sancta Maria College in East Auckland.

His mother hoped he would eventually earn a university degree.

Mendis, however, was already thinking seriously about flying.

The dream was there, but the cost was a problem

Becoming a commercial pilot was not an easy option.

Mendis says flight training could cost around $300 an hour, which was far beyond what he could realistically afford.

He was also conscious of the risk of spending a large amount of money on training without any guarantee of employment afterward.

That could easily have been the end of the dream.

Instead, a series of opportunities began to open up.

Through his college’s Gateway Programme, Mendis visited Ardmore Flying Club and the New Zealand Warbirds Association museum.

He later volunteered there and was introduced to the Walsh Memorial Scout Flying School in Matamata.

The two-week flying programme proved to be a turning point.

The people who helped him get airborne

At Walsh Memorial Scout Flying School, Mendis met two retired RNZAF pilots who later helped him with flying lessons.

Both were flying commercial aircraft at the time.

Whenever they had spare time, they would contact him and take him flying.

Mendis describes it as being in the right place at the right time.

He was even given access to a small Tomahawk aircraft owned by someone he had never met, simply because that owner trusted the instructors working with him.

For a 17-year-old hoping to build flying experience, that kind of support made a major difference.

It is also a reminder that careers are sometimes shaped not only by ambition, but by people willing to open a door at the right moment.

Engineering first, Air Force next

After finishing school, Mendis enrolled in a four-year engineering degree at the University of Auckland.

That decision also kept his mother’s wish for a university qualification alive.

In his final year, he applied to join the RNZAF.

While waiting for the outcome, he took a job at Fisher & Paykel Appliances, working on user interfaces for high-end fridge-freezers.

Then came the email he had been waiting for.

In October 2024, Mendis learned he had been accepted into the RNZAF pilot training programme.

The dream had moved from possibility to reality.

Where he is now

Mendis is currently undertaking his Wings Course with the RNZAF’s No. 14 Squadron.

He is flying the T-6C Texan II, one of the aircraft used to train future Air Force pilots.

This month, his training has included Exercise Wise Owl, operating out of RNZAF Base Auckland at Whenuapai.

He is now only months away from earning his Wings.

That would mark the point where years of study, volunteering, training and persistence come together.

His journey at a glance

Why this story matters

For many migrant families, stories like this resonate for reasons beyond aviation.

Starting again in a new country can be difficult.

Children adapt to a new school system.

Parents often carry high expectations.

Money can limit career choices.

And opportunities are not always obvious.

Mendis’ story shows how those barriers do not necessarily disappear, but they can be worked around through education, volunteering, mentorship and persistence.

It also reflects something important about New Zealand.

A child can arrive from overseas with no connection to aviation and, years later, be training to fly for the country’s Air Force.

That is a powerful example of what integration can look like when opportunity meets effort.

The dream is still getting bigger

Mendis already has his eyes on what might come next.

One aircraft in particular interests him: the C-130J Hercules.

The appeal is obvious.

The aircraft is used for major transport missions and can operate across challenging environments, including Antarctica.

For someone whose aviation dream began with the simple excitement of seeing a large aeroplane for the first time, that possibility carries a certain symmetry.

From Sri Lanka to Auckland.

From school visits to flying clubs.

From engineering and fridge-freezer interfaces to military pilot training.

Mendis’ journey has already covered a remarkable distance.

And in his own words, the wide-eyed six-year-old who first caught the “aviation bug” may still only be at the beginning.

Source: Royal New Zealand Air Force profile of Pilot Officer Roshane Mendis.