The 14-year-old budding pilot could probably land it after recently spending 90 minutes flying the long-haul airliner in an Air New Zealand flight simulator.
It was "a massive reward" from Air New Zealand for all the campaign work he was doing to get international flights back to Dunedin Airport.
While the Taieri College pupil was thrilled with the experience, he said there was really only one reward he was still waiting for — the return of flights between Dunedin and Australia.
"It was a great feeling, flying the plane.
"It’s rare for people like me to get an opportunity like this.
"But I’m still hoping for the real reward, which is getting the flights to Australia back."
Last year, he set up a survey of the local community, asking whether they would like to see the international flights return.
The survey received 25,000 responses before it was closed.
The overwhelming majority of respondents were in support of it and he also received many positive comments and messages from people wanting to help, including the Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board.
He even went so far as to present the survey findings to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
While Mr Luxon did not offer any government assistance to help bring his initiative to fruition, he did offer some advice on how it could be pursued.
Air New Zealand was so impressed with Benjamin’s campaigning that they flew him to Auckland for the day to fly a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Air New Zealand’s flight simulator and talk to top Air New Zealand officials.
Air New Zealand told him the company was not in a position to bring his dream to fruition, at the moment.
Benjamin was now busy writing emails to heads at other airlines, including JetStar, Virgin and Fiji Airways, to see if they would come on board, and find out what they would need to set up flights between Dunedin and Australia.
Last month, Dunedin International Airport Ltd (Dial) chief executive Daniel De Bono met representatives from Australian airports, airlines and tourism agencies in a bid to get transtasman flights going again.
He said he focused on developing links with southeast Queensland, where about 100,000 New Zealanders lived and which had three airports.
He said the trip had left him feeling energised and optimistic about the chance of reinstating them.
