On the 6th of July, after many months of waiting, I was finally on my way to Dundee to start my flying scholarship.
After applying in November, I was one of only 5 cadets from South and East Midlands wing to be nominated by Central and East Region for the ACPS scholarship. The scholarship included accommodation for two weeks and 12 hours flying at the civilian flying school, Tayside Aviation in Dundee.
Also on the course were three ATC and two CCF cadets from all over the country. We started our training with basic aircraft handling and progressed on to emergency procedures such as Engine Failure After Take Off (EFATO) and stalling before finishing with circuits.
We aimed to fly for at least one hour a day weather permitting, the rest of our day was spent in briefings to prepare for the next days flying as well as carrying out our daily cadet duties. After refuelling and returning the aircraft to the hangar we retreated to the hotel for dinner and relaxation in the pool. Then it was back to work, studying hard in preparation for our air law exam and to memorise circuits and procedures.
The bad weather and traffic may have prevented the majority of cadets from going solo but we all now have 12 hours of flying logged towards gaining a Private Pilots Licence, which would have been very expensive to do privately.
I thoroughly enjoyed the course and would love to do it again. This is the best opportunity I have ever experienced in the Air Training Corps. I would highly recommend this course to any cadet that is offered the opportunity.
Written by Cpl Remi Munn
1360 Sqn