Profile: John Boxall

I was introduced to Rotary and Western Endeavour in 2003 by Geoff Ross at an interest evening for potential members and was inducted into the club that year.

My first committee membership was community service and international service. I was elected as Director International Service in 2005 and have continued in that role except for the year I was Club President in 2010-11.

In 2010 I was appointed to the position of Project Approvals Officer for Rotary Australia World Community Service WA (RAWCS). I am now at the end of my fourth year of a two year term!

After attending primary school in Bunbury and secondary school in Perth I attended UWA for two years before following my desire to have a career in aviation. Having commenced flying lessons at age 16 I formed an air charter company in Bunbury in 1968 before obtaining a commercial pilot’s licence later that year. While conducting charter flying I formed a flying school after gaining an instructor’s licence in 1972. At the end of 1975 I gained an Airline Pilot’s Licence with a view of working for the local airline industry but the take-over by Ansett put paid to those plans. Not wanting to leave WA I was successful in graduating as an Air Traffic Controller in 1977 which I did until 2008 including two years as the Manager ATC in WA.

My interest in aviation has now taken a new turn as a qualified commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Controller. This new field offers significant advantages for those requiring specialist survey solutions.