Soaring high

A Hailsham Air Cadet is soaring high after achieving his ambition of flying solo in a glider at Royal Air Force Odiham and receiving his “wings”.

Flight Sergeant Harvey Chandler, a cadet at 249 (Hailsham) Squadron Air Training Corps, travelled to 618 Volunteer Gliding Squadron on five consecutive weekends to reach his goal.

Prior to a 15 minute solo flight in a circuit around the airfield at 800 feet piloting a Vigilant T. Mk1 glider, Flight Sergeant Chandler had to successfully undertaken 10 hours of lessons in the air and passed a theory examination to demonstrate his competence as a potential glider pilot.

Flight Sergeant Chandler, aged 19, was thrilled with his achievement when he said: “It’s fantastic – I can now pilot a £50,000 glider, it’s a great feeling of achievement, knowing that there is no one next to you and you are flying all on your own. I recommend it to anyone who is eligible to apply for a Gliding Scholarship. This is a great opportunity for me, as I hope to be joining the Royal Air Force as a pilot some time next year, and this really gives you a head start in any flying career”.

The Officer Commanding 249(Hailsham) Squadron, Flight Lieutenant Neil Banks RAFVR(T), was quick to praise his Cadet: “Flight Sergeant Chandler thoroughly deserves this success as he has worked very hard and I was proud to be able to present his  wings to him in front of his Squadron colleagues. He is one of our top Cadets on the Squadron and takes full advantage of all of the opportunities available. I foresee a very bright future for him.”