Roberts gliding his way to dream career
Horsham’s David Roberts is a step closer to achieving his goal to become a pilot in the Australian Air Force.
The 16-year-old has successfully gained his gliders licence with Horsham Flying Club and can now fly solo.
“I’ve always wanted fly,” he said.
“When I finish school I want to be a pilot in the Australian Air Force.
“I had to do several training flights with instructors, and when they were happy, I was allowed to fly solo.
“There is a syllabus that you have to work through and complete.
“I’d go out on the weekend, call up an instructor and see if they were happy to fly.”
Roberts contacted the Australian Air Force through his cadet training.
“I found out from people within the Air Force that they prefer glider pilots over power pilots,” he said.
“Glider pilots only learn how to fly with stick and rudder, while power pilots are said to develop ‘bad habits’,” he said.
Roberts said he found the training fairly straightforward.
“There wasn’t much I struggled to complete, although, there was some training I couldn’t complete in the gliders here in Horsham,” he said.
“I had to source the training elsewhere, so I completed the things I couldn’t complete in Horsham at Benalla.
“That would have been the most difficult part.”
Roberts is hoping to to learn to further the early stages of his flying career with the Air Force cadets.
“To get my power licence I will have to complete more training, a lot more ground school and theory covering everything from engine systems right through to flying with instruments only,” he said.
At this stage the licence Roberts has is still at a probationary level.
“I can’t quite compete yet, I’m just working up through the classes of licence until I reach my full licence,” he said.
“I’m not allowed to have any pas- sengers with me at the moment, I still have to fly at the discretion of the instructor.
“I also need a tug pilot – that’s one of the problems with gliding, you always require a tug pilot to go up.”
Roberts joined Horsham Flying Club a little over a year ago.
He said if the weather was good during the school holidays or on weekends he would always go to the club.
He said although there was not many people his age at the club, he still loved spending time there.
“I ride my bike out to the aerodrome, which is fairly convenient,” he said.
“I’m the youngest there by a long shot. It’s a fantastic community. If there is a weekend get-together I will definitely be there.”
Roberts said he was not impressed with the deteriorating weather, but would spend time gaming – his other hobby.
“I probably won’t fly again until September, I’ve got to wait until it warms up,” he said.