‘Aim for the Sky’ is a new ground-breaking partnership funded as part of the National Collaborative Outreach Programme. The programme will see over 200 students from colleges and local secondary schools experience training flights as pilots under instruction.
Students will also take part in briefings about the theory of flight, meteorology and navigation and get involved with airfield operations. All the sessions will take place at Trent Valley Gliding Club based at Kirton in Lindsey in North Lincolnshire with each student being able to benefit from pilot tutoring over three free glider flights.
Students will benefit from 12 hours of practical and theoretical teaching over a two-week period. ‘Aim for the Sky’ will encourage students to access opportunities, which are currently unavailable to them and help open doors for potential new careers in the aviation industry. For example, enabling the students to experience aviation from the perspective of a pilot, ground crew, technicians and operations.
Gliding Instructor Richard Malam from Trent Valley Gliding Club spoke of the new programme and his enthusiasm for the partnership: “We love teaching gliding skills to young people. Taking them up on their first flights in a glider and sharing their excitement at the views from up there makes it all worthwhile for us.”
Yvonne Elliott, Schools and Colleges lead for the British Gliding Association, said: “This project is a superb example of how gliding provides an excellent ground work for many careers, not just aviation or aerospace, through engaging opportunities for young people linked to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).”
Level 3 Electrical Engineering student, Ben Rozewicz, said: “It’s really cool, this experience is not something that happens a lot and it’s different. I feel a bit nervous but I’m in safe hands.”
The programme is scheduled to finish in June, so to find out more about the British Gliding Association and the programme, please click here.
If you have a case study which highlights how you've positively engaged with your local area, please get in touch with?aburgess@sportandrecreation.org.uk.
This afternoon, the Chancellor delivered her Budget speech to Parliament, outlining decisions on tax and spending.
Read more
Ahead of the Chancellor’s Budget statement on 26 November, we take a look a look at the key areas to be aware of and the work the Alliance has been doing lobbying on behalf of members.
Read more
Government has today formally launched a consultation on reforming the role of statutory consultees in the planning system. The consultation runs for eight weeks, closing on 13 January 2026.
Read more
Joining the Sport and Recreation Alliance is pretty simple, but worthwhile!
Register now
