A contingent of 20 air cadets from 22 Red Knight Squadron were able to experience flight firsthand through familiarization flights in a small aircraft at Powell River Airport.
Major Darryl Rolfe, pilot for the familiarization flights, said the cadet program is all about citizenship, leadership and physical fitness, and on the air cadet side specifically, it’s about offering an opportunity to see what flight is about and to learn about aviation.
“Today is a great opportunity and it’s a beautiful flying day,” said Rolfe on June 5. “It’s a great opportunity to take lots of cadets up for short flights. We’ve been going up over Powell Lake toward Lund.
“The front seat passengers have had the opportunity to do some flying if they want, doing some climbs and descents and nice, easy turns. However, they all get the benefit of watching how flight happens and hearing everything in terms of the aerodrome traffic on the radio. It’s a great opportunity for the air cadets. Some are experiencing flight for the very first time in a small, general aviation aircraft.”
Rolfe said not every cadet goes into the aviation industry and not every cadet will end up flying, but there are great pathways through the program.
“One of the pathways we have an opportunity to put cadets through is getting their glider’s licence and potentially becoming instructors, longer-term,” he added. “After, it’s a competitive process for those who want to go onto pilot training, where they can earn their private pilot’s licence through the program. Some even head off into the Canadian Armed Forces.”
Captain Guy Pepin from 22 Red Knight Squadron said familiarization flying is absolutely fundamental to the program they want to deliver.
“We do a lot of different things but you’ve got to put the air in air cadets,” said Pepin. “We have had the opportunity to do familiarization flying and the enthusiasm the cadets show makes it completely evident that it’s the right thing to be doing. We’ve already had a day of flying about a month ago and the cadets walk away with big, beaming smiles on their faces, and they want more.”
Pepin said three weeks previous, the squadron had the opportunity to go to Canadian Forces Base Comox for glider flying and it was a fantastic experience.
“When we were at Comox there were CF-18 fighters in the circuit and it was a whole experience for the cadets to see what aviation can be like,” said Pepin. “Every one of them got a glider flight and many of them got to fly in the tow plane.
“Today, it’s general aviation here in Powell River. The cadets get to see their homes from the air, test the controls, ask questions and learn about flying.”
Cadets' comment
Air cadet Charlie Neal, who was awaiting his familiarization flight, said he was excited about the opportunity.
“I love flying,” said Neal. “I’ve had one flight with a small aircraft and I’ve been on airliners.”
Neal had been in cadets for four months.
Jenna Stanhope had already been up for her flight. She said she found places on the ground that she didn’t know were there.
“My flight was really extraordinary, honestly,” said Stanhope. “I quite enjoyed it.”
She was in the air for the better part of an hour and said it was smooth flying. The opportunity to fly was one of the features that attracted her to air cadets.
Julian Konstantonis said he was in his third year in air cadets and holds the rank of flight corporal. He was awaiting his flight, which was to be his third time in a small aircraft. He said he enjoys flying very much and it was one of the major features that attracted him to air cadets.
Konstantonis was hoping for the opportunity to sit in the front seat and do a bit of flying, which he had done previously. He said gliding and the opportunity for flight training in a powered aircraft are things he’d like to do.
Isaac Mack was also excited while awaiting his flight.
“It’s going to be a great time,” said Mack. “I’m probably going to see some really nice mountains and scenery.”
Mack had flown previously in March of this year and enjoys flying. He has been interested in aircraft for a long time, he said.
“It’s an obsession of mine,” said Mack, who has been an air cadet for a year and a half. He’s also aiming to become a glider and powered aircraft pilot.
James Leishman, age 16, said he had been in air cadets since he was 12 and is a warrant officer second class now. Leishman said his father flies and he wants to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Leishman wants to work through gliding school and then get his private pilot’s licence through air cadets. He had been in his father’s floatplane earlier in the day, flying to Tofino and up Powell Lake.
Leishman said air cadets has been a great experience for him. He was in Cold Lake, Alberta, last summer for three weeks for an advanced aviation course and before COVID-19, he went to summer camp in the Victoria area.
“It’s been really enjoyable,” added Leishman.
