CWO SOARS THROUGH FLYING SCHOLARSHIP

Cadet Warrant Officer Elizabeth Cwilewicz of 2168 Squadron was recently selected for a prestigious 12 hour Flying Scholarship course at Tayside Aviation, Dundee Airport, through the Air Cadet Pilot Scheme.

After excitedly completing her solo flight through a Gliding Scholarship, in a Grob Vigilant with 644 Voluntary Gliding Squadron, Syerston, Elizabeth decided to continue her flying career by applying for the Flying Scholarship and without hesitation was chosen for the two week course.

For the past week, she has been learning the more complex functioning of the Grob Heron 115D including stalling drills, effects of controls and is now practising solo circuits along with her professional and safe instructors.

The weather so far has been blue skies, but sometimes with little and heavy crosswind and warm temperatures, so she has managed to fit in two or three flights a day along with 4 other determined trainee cadet pilots. Passing the Air Law examination is the final step to enable her to go solo and complete her 12 hours.

Elizabeth commented: "The amount of concentration you have in each lesson is immense and paying full attention to the instructors will definitely give me the best performance in the later solo flights I will undertake. The instructors are great, the weather has been ideal and I cannot wait to experience the self piloting of a light aircraft once again."

During her training there was an added bonus with an unexpected visit from two RAF Tucano pilots from RAF Linton-on-Ouse who landed at Dundee airport. Elizabeth said: "Watching the planes landing and taking off was an experience not to be missed".

Elizabeth hopes to complete her final solo soon enough to be able to assisst in the training of the next course of cadets.