Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan has always had a passion for making things, which prompted his decision to take Materials Technology (Woodwork) at St Andrew’s. He says the subject has prepared him well for his current, highly specialised work for an aircraft restoration company. “I was able to apply the skills I learnt in Materials Technology to my own projects, and also learnt the importance of discipline and the responsibility of working in a workshop.”

He enjoyed numerous other aspects of the course, including gaining a deeper understanding of how wood works, and taking classroom knowledge and designs and converting them into something useful. “Mr Hamilton taught me all the way through and was a great teacher. He pushed me and my fellow students to strive for more than the minimum, to develop a passion for the subject, and a deeper understanding of how it works.”

Tim is currently working on three significant restoration projects – ground‑up rebuilds of Beech Staggerwing aircraft, built between 1933 and 1949. One was New Zealand’s first air ambulance, and another was used in Antarctica in 1940 by Admiral Richard Byrd. His future career goals are to become a Licensed Aircraft Engineer/Commercial Pilot and work in these fields.