Cadets from the Greenwood Cadet Training Centre’s Advance Aviation Course were able to participate in Cessna familiarization (famil) flights – piloted by own of their own peers, Course Cadet Staff Sergeant Ryan Stevens.
Stevens successfully completed his power pilot license at the Moncton Flight College in New Brunswick last summer through the Cadet program. Though he also participated in the drill team and played the euphonium for the band, learning to fly was Stevens’ objective when he initially joined Cadets in 2017.
“That was my ultimate goal when I joined the program, and the main motivation for me. I did find other things that I also enjoyed a lot, but that was definitely the main goal.”
And while the seven-week course was challenging, Stevens thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
“Amazing. I would do it again if I could. Happily!”
Course Staff Cadet Sergeant Abigail Little, who completed the power pilot program at the Gander Flight Training School in Newfoundland, echoes Stevens’ sentiments.
“I found it amazing. It was a really, like, stressful, and a big study course, but it was really worth it. It was amazing.”
There are many aspects to flying an aircraft Stevens enjoys, from the different locations you can travel to, to enjoying the scenery around you from the cockpit.
“Part of it is the satisfaction that you get from it, being like, ‘OK, I’m going to level off at exactly 2,000 feet,’ and then you do it right, and you go, ‘Oh that was great.’ All that sort of stuff. You can always keep learning in it, and there’s always new stuff that you can try to do. There are always new challenges you can take on.”
For his last summer in Cadets, Stevens was able to provide his students with a firsthand look at the opportunities Air Cadets offers.
“It’s fun to be in the plane, all the time. It’s fun to be flying, and it’s very fun to be flving people – sometimes for their first experience in a plane, because you get to go, ‘Hey, look at this cool thing that I can do,’ and they go, ‘Ooh, that is cool!’”
Course Cadet William Suriano, who enjoyed the instruction aspect of the course, appreciated receiving a flight and learning about the process from a fellow student’s perspective.
“It was interesting seeing a Cadet who went through the Cadet program, got their pilot’s license going through the familiarisation flight talking about everything. It’s also interesting to talk to him afterwards and ask about the process.”
Course Cadet Amira Hafaiedh, who had had received a flight tour over Parliament in Ottawa in the past, said the experience with Stevens was fantastic, compared to a scenic flight.
“Honestly, it was a ton more interesting because he explained what the controls were, he explained what we were doing at all times and it was kind of like a lot more in depth. I think I learned quite a bit during the famil flight.”
Stevens encourages anyone who has a passion for aviation to try the Cadet program.
“Give it a try. And, ideally, try and get at least one famil flight done in that time that you try it, because then you get the really fun bits.”
In addition to inspiring his peers to try out for the programs and being able to spend more time behind the controls, the flights also count towards Stevens’ flying hours, which he needs to further his licenses and permits. Stevens plans on attending flight school after high school graduation, following his dream to, one day, become a professional pilot.
