Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Flight Lieutenant Daniel Corbett is on ‘loan’ to the Defence Aviation Safety Authority (DASA) and is using his love of running to raise funds for a homeless charity.
“I enjoy a good run, and this year, I want to add in some purpose to it by attempting to raise $3000 for The Victorian Homeless Fund,” Flight Lieutenant Corbett said.
“I have entered into the 2026 Melbourne Marathon and am looking for sponsorship support in reaching my fundraising goal.”
The Victorian Homeless Fund is committed to finding long-term solutions for people who are at high risk of homelessness, particularly women and children escaping family violence.
Flight Lieutenant Corbett has been working in the Directorate of Engineering within DASA.
“The RNZAF has had a long-standing relationship with RAAF Aircraft Structural Integrity [ASI], with a steady flow of Kiwis across the Tasman Sea for at least the past 25 years,” he said.
“The role here has morphed over the years, but continues to provide an opportunity to develop the skills and experience necessary for more senior ASI and specialist engineering roles in the RNZAF.”
Flight Lieutenant Corbett said the experience of working in DASA has been like jumping in as a cog of a very large, well-oiled machine.
“The scale of this organisation is about 11-fold of the NZ Defence Aviation Authority [DAA], which has taken some getting used to. Working here, I have been able to focus on a specific aircraft type and technology, which has felt like a luxury,” he said.
“My background in the RNZAF started straight out of high school when I was accepted into a university scholarship programme. This enabled me to study mechanical engineering at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch.
“From there, I have worked on a number of different aircraft, including NH-90 [MRH-90 equivalent], P-3K2, A109, KA350 and the T-6 Texan, mostly in the ASI arena. More recently, I have worked as part of the NZDF DAA, which has led nicely into my current role as part of DASA Directorate of Aviation Engineering.”
‘Talking with one person, I heard their story and how they had become homeless after being a victim of a knife attack that left them without the function of one hand. They hadn’t been able to return to work following the incident and consequently fell into homelessness.’
Flight Lieutenant Corbett’s interest in supporting a homeless charity was sparked by his move ‘across the ditch’. He said since moving to Melbourne, he’s enjoyed running in the city, but found it shocking to see the number of homeless people.
“Talking with one person, I heard their story and how they had become homeless after being a victim of a knife attack that left them without the function of one hand. They hadn’t been able to return to work following the incident and consequently fell into homelessness,” he said.
“One of the best charities I have come across that help people like this is the Victoria Homeless Fund. Their mission is to provide long-term solutions for people by building houses. A key point difference they have is that they provide a pathway for people to leave homelessness altogether.
“The Melbourne Marathon has a program where it partners with a range of charitable organisations and offers free entries for people who are willing to raise money for them. I have joined this program and, so far, to raise the money, I have given a general appeal, had a bake sale and launched a competition for guessing my marathon finish time.
“Coming up, I have planned another bake sale as well as a raffle for a collection of RNZAF squadron patches and coins.”
Flight Lieutenant Corbett thanked the members of DASA for their strong support towards achieving his fundraising goal. He continues to enjoy exercising his specialist engineering skills and exchanging knowledge.
