Below is a report written by Leading Air Cadet Logan Cane, who also attended the National Aviation Course earlier in the year:-
“From the 9th to the 20th of January a select few of about 30 ATC cadets from around New Zealand were selected to attend the annual national aviation course for power flying. Both Sergeant Andie Thompson and I were selected from our squadron to attend.
The course was held at RNZAF Base Woodbourne which is located down south near Blenheim. The aim of the course was to provide all of us with almost 2 weeks of flight training in one of either three Cessna 152s or two Piper Tomahawks.
We were all split into a syndicate where we had our own plane and our own instructor. My instructor was Mr Hayden Leech who was a particularly funny man who at one point decided to start singing “Bananas In Pyjamas” as I was setting up to land at Omaka airfield , but nevertheless he was a great instructor who really helped me hone my flying skills.
For an hour a day we would go flying around the beautiful Marlborough sounds each day covering something new such as flight radio, stalls takeoffs, landings etc. Personally the highlight for me in terms of flying was the last day when my instructor took me up for a ‘joyride’ where we did some aerobatics (barrel rolls, back flips, flat spins) and also at one point we met up with one of the other training planes and flew formation where at one point we were probably less than 20m off each other’s wings.
When we weren’t flying we could go to ground school where we learnt the theory behind everything we were doing in the air. We also had the opportunity to sit our FRTO (Flight Radio Telephony Operator) license, which I passed with flying colours (nah only by 1% actually) but basically it means that I can now use an aircrafts radio without an instructor being there.
The rest of the time we sat in a tent on the flight line and had a chat, which of course was a good way to meet new people and make friends. The course wasn’t just that though. We also got a tour around the hanger where they worked on the air forces planes and helicopters as well as a tour around the weapons room (armoury) where they had rifles such as the M16 and the AK-47 as well as missiles such as the sidewinder. We also got a tour around the air traffic control tower where they showed us what they do and all of the computer systems they use too.
Sergeant Thompson and I both enjoyed the experience as well as everyone else who attended and for the price it cost ($650.00) it was a really cheap way to get up and experience the joy of flying as well as living a military lifestyle and making new friends.”
Pictured:-
1) LAC Cane on final approach for landing, 2) An article in the local Blenheim newspaper on the course, 3) LAC Cane’s syndicate [LAC Cane front centre in hi-viz vest], 4) The course students, staff and instructors for 2012
