Students prove to be high-fliers
It was a day full of flying and soaring for four Upper Hutt young people recently.
Venturer Scouts Peter Saunders, Eleanor Cox and Alex Elzenaar along with Air Training Corps member Jasmine Eyley travelled to the 51st Walsh Memorial Scout Flying School in Matamata, Waikato and spent some time building their flight skills
Seventy-four youths between the ages of 16 and 20 attended the training event earlier this year and the country airport was bustling.
Between 6am and 8.30pm, 18 light planes were constantly taking off and landing as volunteer instructors took the students up for a spin.
Poor weather couldn’t put the pilots off as Elzenaar and Cox flew solo for the first time. Saunders was given the responsibility of being Unit Leader.
All beginner students on the day flew for 8 hours each while returning pilots flew crosscountry as well as in the circuit.
The event rounded off with an awards dinner where more than $30,000 worth of prizes were given out. Saunders won the Massey Aviation Medal and five hours worth of flying.
Cox won $1000 worth of flying time along with a set of aviation books.
Eyley won a ride in the Air Nelson simulator.