Texada Aerospace Camp Gives Youth Wings

- Doby Dobrostanski

The pilot straps into the Beechcraft King Air’s captain’s seat and stares intently down the 10,000 foot runway at RCAF Comox. She grasps the control column with determination, turns to the co-pilot in the righthand seat and nods. He pushes the throttles forward.

She is 10 years old. He is 13.

The whine of the twin turbine engines and the sound of tires rolling over the concrete invades the cabin. Vibrations and mechanical sounds add to the cacophony. She monitors the array of engine gauges and flight instruments display the change from static to very active! Airspeed increases as the plane rises off the runway… the noise of tires on the ground stops.

The view of the runway’s end abruptly changes as the nose of the plane sweeps upward. After a few manoeuvres in the air, the pilot in command barks her litany of specialized aviation jargon. A radio voice acknowledges. In a moment it advises her landing instructions. The flight is nearly over. She lands and smiles quietly at the instructor standing between the seats. He gives here the time honoured “thumbs up”; she passed the flight test.

They are flying the famous AirBuzz Mk ll Flight simulator located at the Texada AeroSpace Camp’s Hangar at Texada’s Airport.

Every year, youth between 10 years old and 15 attend the unique classes. There they learn the basics of flight, fire off rockets, learn to cut, drill and rivet metal, and much, much more… This year the Camp is held from 27th to the 30th of July. Registration applications are available online at texada.org.