Six exceptional young people will get the chance to fly thanks to the Royal Air Forces Association’s Flying Scholarships programme.
The Flying Scholarship programme runs annually as a thank you to members of the Air Cadet Organisation (ACO), which includes the Air Training Corps (ATC) and the Combined Cadet Force (RAF), Girls Venture Corps Air Cadets (GVCAC) and Air Scouts/Air Explorer Scouts for their continuous support to the Association.
The winning candidate is rewarded with a course of 35 hours flight training in a light aircraft, and the course covers all or part of the tuition needed to obtain a National Private Pilot Licence. Five runners-up receive 12 hours training each.
Cadet Flight Sergeant (now Cadet Warrant Officer) Christopher Clarke, a cadet with No 156 (Kidderminster) Squadron ATC, was one of the runners up. He has just taken some of his training at South Warwickshire Flying School and said of the experience: “I would like to thank you sincerely for the opportunity to become one of the six RAF Association scholarship winners.
“The instruction provided was of an exceedingly high standard, which helped me achieve my first solo by the end of the first week! To say that I've enjoyed every second would be a huge understatement. I would like to thank everyone so much for helping me with my passion for aviation; I am now firmly on a path of pursuing a career in the RAF, hopefully as a pilot.”
Applicants must be at least 16 years of age on 1 June 2017 and under 20 on 1 January 2017. Applicants must also have served at least 12 months with the ACO, GVCAC or Air (Explorer) Scouts on 1 June 2017.
Applications are invited from 1 September 2016 and must be in by 9 January 2017.
Full terms and conditions and application forms can be downloaded from www.rafa.org.uk/flying-scholarships
