Chelsey Thompson was set to study nutrition and dietetics at university when a gap year decision propelled her life in the opposite direction. Ms Thompson spent her gap year at the Royal Australian Air Force base in Amberley as an aviation and support technician working among super hornet jets within No. 1 Squadron. After I finished the gap year, they give you a choice of whether you wanted to stay in the defence force or leave, the former St Patrick s College Mackay student said. I decided I had more passion for the air force. I just cancelled my university degree (and) I transferred over to the Australian Defence Force Academy.