Young Falcons Wings Parade Saturday 21st Nov

[Pelican]

Hi guys,

We (Cape Virtual – Cape Chapter of Assoc of Virtual Aviation SA – 13th Chapter of the Aero Club of SA) run a Youth development course at Ysterplaat called Young Falcons every second Saturday during the school terms. It is a two year course starting with 30 Grade 10's each year, so we effectively have 60 kids there every two weeks. It is facilitated by Cape Virtual and is a component of the SAAF's Siyandiza (Flight Awareness) Program. The kids are taught many varied aviation subjects (Met, instruments, propulsion, survival, Nav, ATC etc) and some formative ones as well (manners, respect, etiquette, first aid). The lectures are done primarily by current SAAF instructors and ourselves when necessary. Flight simulation is a big part of the course.

This we do for free, most of us just to give back to aviation in some meaningful form. It has been a fantastic endeavour and for the last two years we ended the year with a Wings parade for the Advanced Young Falcons. Two years ago two Yaks and a C150 plus 2 very brave Microlighters braved the gale and visited us at Ysterplaat. We managed to get each and every kid flown that day with the Advanced kids actually getting their hands on the controls - can you imagine the excitement.

Last year the zone was declared IMC after the many of the pilots had landed and before the Stellenbosch guys could get into the circuit. None the less, we managed to get all but 7 Young Falcons airborne on the day. Thank goodnes for brave microlighters who were able to operate "within" Ysterplaat's fence. Thanks to Louis from Aerosport Fisantekraal and the microlighters again, we managed to fly the kids that missed out in January of this year, and all of the kids got another opportunity at the end of March at Stellenbosch. Well done guys, I doubt you fully realise what a magnificent thing you do and how it affects the lives of these kids.

Comments from the pilots was that the kids flew really well - thanks obviously to the hours they practice on the flight sims. For weeks after the Wings Parades, I get phone calls from parents and grandparents thanking us for the effort and saying things like "he still has not touched ground....." Makes it all worthwhile.

So yes, we are going to do it again. Saturday 21st November 2009, 8ish at FAYP. We hope to have fuel for you and maybe even some oil if we get lucky. Please contact me soonest if you would like to help out as there is a wad of SAAF paperwork that has to be completed prior to the briefing on 18 November. I will dispatch the one form each pilot needs to fill in, and I will do the rest for you.

You can get hold of me via the Cape Virtual website http://www.ava.org.za/CV/

[Wargames]

After missing out on langebaan weg earlier, I shall not miss this one. Sounds lekker.