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Wednesday, August 4,999
Page 13
Cadets pursuing pilot licenses at Huron Air Park
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By Kate Monk
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
HURON AIR PARK —I Learning to .fly would be *the
perfect way to spend a summer vacation for many
people.
But 15 cadets from across Ontario are finding it
hard work and not All fun and games.' Thanks to
$10,000 scholarships from the Department of
National Defence, they're spending seven weeks at
Huron Air Park to earn their private pilot licenses.
"It's pretty much go, go, go," said W02
Raymond Francis.
A combination of flying and ground
school starts at 7 a.m. and lasts until 5:30
p.m. In the evening, there's a two-
hour mandatory study time. With one
day off a week, they admit they're
exhausted by the end of the day.
Chief Flight Instructor Rod McCormack of Empire
Aviation says the cadets' daily schedule is "pretty
much regimented."
Empire Aviation, a privately owned flight school,
has been contracted by DND to provide the instruc-
tion but it is a cadet program.
"The cadet (program) keeps us in line," Flight
Sergeant Ramy Rashad said with a smile. •
The cadets are paid $10 per day ($60 per week) and
pay for textbooks. The accommodations, food and
instruction are covered by the scholarship.
Many of the cadets already have glider training or
have been flying with friends or family. The minimum
age to obtain a private pilots license is 17 and cadets
graduate when they are 19.
Sixty-eight cadets are learning to fly through the
program in Ontario this summer, chosen from 2,000
applicants.
To be accepted, they successfully complete a basic
ground school, entrance exam and interview.
McCormack said the cadets are highly motivated
and feel pressure to do well even though the govern- Ready for the skies. From left, Cadets Rishi Dayal,
ment pays their way. Brad Butts, Ramy Rashad, Colin Harrison, and
"It's a privilege for them," he explained. Raymond Francis with Chief Flight Instructor Rod
"They're not here fr a free ride. There are expecta-
. McCormack of Empire Aviation pose with a Cessna
tions, McCormacksald. Ifthe cadets on t so o a. 152. '
in a specified number ofhours or fail the exams, ,•
they're sent home.
The intense training is the best way to learn to fly,
McCormack said. Cadets pass the exams in close to
the minimum number of required hours. In one week,
they can accomplish what would take a
month for people learning to fly on a
part-time basis. • -
"I would -consider it an ideal way
to train," McCormack said.
He expects the cadets will continue
to fly after they graduate with some
becoming commercial pilots and oth-
ers flying on a recreational basis.
Two years ago, Centralia Academy trained cadets at
Huron Air Park using Katanas. This year, Empire is
using three Cessna 152s and one Cessna 172.
McCormack said a few of the cadets were too large to
fit in the Katanas and he wasn't able to getenougll
Katanas.
There is a better chance the cadets will have acceS$
to the popular Cessnas when they return home.
This summer's dry weather has been* ideal for flight
training. Morning fog during the last week of July
slowed the training but McCormack expects they'll
still finish in plenty of time before the Aug. 20 gradua•.
tion ceremony in Trenton.
Empire Aviation is using eight instructors to train
the 15 cadets. There are two cadet schools based Out
of Waterloo and one in Lindsay. Most of the cadets at
Centralia are from the Greater Toronto Area with oth-
ers from across southern Ontario.
Despite the long hours and pressure, the cadets said
they're enjoying the experience:
•"The course is a lot of fun," Rashad said.
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Flight Sergeant Brad Butts checks the fuel level before
a lesson.