Holywell youngsters take to the skies with flying colours

A group of lucky youngsters from Holywell will take the controls of a light aircraft during a special day of flying lessons at Hawarden Aerodrome in Flintshire today.

The Ysgol Treffynnon pupils are being rewarded after successfully completing the Airbus Foundation’s Flying Challenge programme, a youth mentoring scheme that has seen the youngsters attend 20 weekly sessions at Airbus Broughton to gain insight into the aviation and aerospace industries.

Today’s big Flying Day finale, supported by leading aviation charity partner fly2help, will see the Year 9 pupils take to the skies in two Piper Cherokee light aircraft and be given a flying lesson, even getting a chance to take the controls of the plane.

Airbus Community Relations Manager Phil McGraa said: “The Flying Challenge programme gives the students a unique and potentially life-changing opportunity to work with Airbus mentors to develop relevant skills and inspire them in their future endeavours.

“The Flying Challenge programme is the Airbus Foundation’s largest international youth mentoring scheme in which they complete a skills portfolio and achieve a nationally recognised qualification. Airbus in the UK is committed to projects involving schools in the region, with youth development and education being among the core strands of the company’s community-engagement agenda.”

An Airbus Foundation Flying Challenge graduation ceremony will take place at the school next month.

Feature Photo: Tom Williams/JTW Aviation Images