Pint-sized would-be pilots will be able to take to the skies above the South Cariboo this month.
The 100 Mile Flying Club is gearing up to run its eleventh annual Junior Aviator Day on Saturday, Oct. 28. Ursula Hart, a club member and organizer of the event, said all of the club’s members are looking forward to the day.
“Everyone who can shows up for this event, to help out. We’ll have lots of members who aren’t active flying members or community members who have their own aircraft will show up to donate their time to take kids up flying in their aircraft,” Hart said. “It’s an event that pulls us all together.”
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the 100 Mile House Flying Club members will be taking youth from Grade 6 to 12 on an aerial tour of the South Cariboo, all free of charge. Unlike the last three years, Hart said no pre-registration is required and participants are invited to show up throughout the day and catch a flight on a first-come, first-served basis.
All they need is a parental consent form, which can be downloaded from 100milehouseflyingclub.com or be picked up in person the day of. Hart said they take kids up in groups of three, so if they want to fly with friends it’s best to plan accordingly.
This event is free of charge thanks to a joint grant from the Cariboo Regional District and District of 100 Mile House and club members donating their time, airplanes and fuel. Hart said the goal of the Junior Aviator Day is to spark an interest in aviation among the community’s youth.
“Every year it’s been a bit more successful than the last. So far, we’ve flown over 400 local students, which is really exciting,” Hart said. “We run a little ground school with them that goes over basic theory of flight principals and then we like to have a discussion about career opportunities in aviation.”
Hart said that due to scheduling conflicts, the club is hosting the event later in October than usual. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, she said they’ll be unable to reschedule this year and would have to run it in the spring instead.
Indeed, Hart said she has considered moving the event to the spring in the past and welcomes community feedback on this potential move. Anyone with further questions is invited to reach out to Hart at hart.ursula@gmail.com.
“It’s quite an amazing thing for people to participate in. A free 20-minute flight is a pretty special thing in our small community,” Hart said.
