90 (Speke) Squadron ATC

39 Woolton Road
Garston
Liverpool
L19 5ND
       Tel: 01514270940
  Email: 90@merseysidewing.org
                  Web: www.90speke.org.uk

An Air Cadet from 90 (Speke) Squadron takes to the skies as a ‘G1’ pilot after completing Advanced Glider Training.

In late April 2008, Cadet Corporal Ryan Davies of 90 (Speke) Squadron Air Training Corps begun a gliding scholarship to obtain his Blue Wings. Since then he has flew his way through the stages of Glider pilot training to finally achieve his G1 Glider Pilot Wings.

The Air Cadet organization is heavily involved with flying and gliding, with RAF pilots teaching the basic principles on how to fly an aircraft... but a gliding scholarship is more! All Merseyside Wing Gliding Scholarships are held at RAF Woodvale in Liverpool, and are run over a period of 10 days and teaches a selected number of cadets how to fly a Vigilant Motor Glider to extent, even leading to flying solo.

If a Cadet shows potential on a course, he or she will be asked to return to the Gliding School to continue with further training to try and gain Silver and Gold Wings, and if they show even more enthusiasm and potential, they will be asked to stay and follow a Glider Pilot Training Course to obtain G1 Gliding Wings. Which is exactly what Cadet Corporal Davies did!

“I thought that gaining my G1 Pilot status would have been easy… but then the reality hit me. It is mainly down to how optimistic you are and how much dedication you are willing to put in to the Gliding School” stated Cadet Corporal Davies.

Throughout the training, you must attend a number of ground school lessons to learn the basic needs and responsibilities of a G1 Pilot. The ground school consists of  a number of PowerPoint presentations, even a lecture on meteorological forecasts! Once you have had all of your ground school lectures, it’s time to get flying! When you start your ‘Upper Sky Work’ you will be taught how to handle the aircraft in extreme weather conditions, including cross wind landings.

Furthermore, you are taught the basics of teaching a cadet how to fly the Vigilant Motor Glider, and even engine and aircraft emergencies! Once you have completed all of your ’Upper Sky Work’ you will then need to gain at least 40 hours to obtain your G1 Wings, 20 of which is to be flown solo.   

“It was very nerve wracking when I first started training for G1 pilot wings, because I would then be flying cadets under my own responsibility” explained the Cadet Corporal.  The Officer Commanding of 90 (Speke) Squadron Flight Lieutenant Phil Brown added:

“Corporal  Davies took roughly 6 months to go from having Blue Gliding Wings, to being a G1 Glider Pilot which has proved his enthusiasm and dedication towards Gliding was rewarded”