Gliders recruited for Air Cadets’ pitch
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/05/2016 (3595 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Two bright yellow gliders and one tow plane from the Brandon Cadet Flying Site are headed to Portage la Prairie next weekend for the 2016 Manitoba Air Show.
In between performances by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, sky dancers and vintage aircraft, participants from the Air Cadet Glider Program will show off the lofty perks of being a cadet.
“The idea is to show the public that (is) coming the air cadet gliding program and hopefully get their kids involved and interested in the program,” said Lt. Ben Peachment, operations officer for the Brandon Cadet Flying Site.
Over the weekend, members of the glider program met at the Brandon Municipal Airport for some air time ahead of the show. Unfortunately, the overcast skies had them grounded for Saturday and most of Sunday.
“We don’t want to be flying in the clouds since these aren’t able to (be flown) just by instruments, we need visual references on the ground to stay level,” Peachment said.
The Brandon Cadet Flying Site’s engine-less gliders can accommodate two passengers at a time and are outfitted with a simple set of controls. To get airborne, the craft is towed behind a small plane and released at about 2,000 feet above ground, after which the pilot can take it through a number of manoeuvres before landing — usually in a grassy area.
The Air Cadet program aims to get all cadets ages 12 to 18 into a glider at least once every year.
“The squadrons and cadets get one day to come out to glider sites (in Brandon and Gimli) and ideally all cadets get a ride that day,” Peachment said, adding that once cadets age out of the program they can become gliding instructors, like himself. “Most of us are university students … so it’s a great summer job.”
Marika Dewar-Norosky, a 16-year-old from Strathclair, hopes to do just that in the future.
“I hope to someday be a flight instructor as well, and teach other kids how to fly,” she said.
Dewar-Norosky got her glider pilot’s licence last summer during a six-week course at the Gimli Cadet Flying Training Centre.
“From the day you get on course, you’re in the glider learning how to fly with your hands on the controls and with an instructor behind you making sure you’re doing everything safe and right,” she said, adding that she has flown in a glider at more than 70 times.
This summer, Dewar-Norosky plans to get her private pilot’s licence through the Air Cadets power pilot program.
For more information about the Manitoba Air Show and the cadet glider demo, visit mbairshow.com.
» ewasney@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @evawasney