Elk Valley Air Cadet soars high

Contributed by Sherri Shaw

Commanding Officer, Fernie RCAC

This summer 16-year-old cadet Sgt Kamryn Rawles had the opportunity to obtain a pilot’s license to fly a glider. She attended the 7-week Glider Pilot Training Course in Trenton, ON.

“There’s no way to describe the feeling of flying a glider on your own. The exhilaration you get when you think the only thing keeping you 3 thousand feet in the air is the glider and your skills.” Says Rawles.

Sgt Rawles has been a member of 279 Elk Valley Air Cadets for 4 years and has just started her 5th year. She has been working towards the goal of obtaining a pilot’s license by participating in weekly training and additional ground school training. Cadets can apply for courses, such as the Glider Pilot Training Course once they meet the requirements. There is a knowledge exam, interview and review of the cadets’ training and school records.

“It was overwhelming to say the least. The skills and professionalism of the instructors was phenomenal and the experience and knowledge I gained inspired me.” Says Rawles, “The days were long, both mentally and physically challenging, but the summer really seemed to fly by.”

Sgt Rawles received her wings at the Trenton Cadet Summer Training Centre graduation parade at the end of August. She is excited to bring her knowledge and experience back to share with other cadets.

The return of summer training is exciting for the cadet program. During the COVID-19 Pandemic there were no in-person courses offered to cadets for the summer of 2020 and 2021. This summer cadets from 279 Elk Valley Air Cadets and 2757 PPCLI Fernie Army Cadets saw cadets attend courses such as Survival Instructor, Fitness and Sport Instructor, and Expedition Team Leader. Cadet completing their first and second year were able to participate in a Cadet Activity Program in Fruitvale, BC for 5 or 12 days.

The cadet program is for youth ages 12 to 18. 279 Elk Valley Air Cadets parade on Thursday evenings in Sparwood, and 2757 PPCLI Fernie Army Cadets parade on Wednesday nights in Fernie. For more information or to register for the cadet program, visit cadets.ca

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