For four Hundred pupils, this year’s Skill Up Week provided an opportunity to exchange examination halls for the skies above Wiltshire, as they embarked on an intensive week of flight training with GS Aviation at Clench Common Airfield.
Over five consecutive days, each pupil accumulated just over eight hours of flying time in a C42 microlight aircraft. While eight hours may not sound like much, in aviation terms it represents a remarkable amount of hands-on experience. The week was designed to immerse pupils fully in the process of learning to fly, taking them from complete beginners to confident student pilots capable of handling many of the key phases of flight.
The week began with the fundamentals: aircraft controls, straight and level flight, climbing, descending and turning. As confidence and competence grew, pupils progressed to more advanced exercises, developing the coordination and judgement required to safely control an aircraft. By the end of the week, each pupil was participating in circuit training and learning the art of landing.
Fortunately, the weather largely cooperated. Conditions were generally excellent throughout the week, although the final days provided some more challenging winds which ensured that landing practice was both educational and memorable. Aviation instructors often describe such conditions as “sporty”, and our pupils certainly rose to the challenge.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the week was the speed of progress. Few experiences demonstrate the value of intensive, focused learning quite so clearly. In just five days, pupils moved from having little or no practical flying knowledge to actively controlling an aircraft during take-off, flight and landing phases.
Rhea S reflected on the experience:
“I can confidently say that the Flight School course was one of the most incredible weeks of my life. It was genuinely packed full of amazing moments, with plenty of hands-on experience and just the right amount of mental challenge; it was very satisfying learning new skills and getting to put them into practice. I could really tell that the instructors were passionate about what they do and really wanted us to do as well as possible, allowing us to progress much faster than I had initially thought we might, and inspiring me to continue flying in the future.”
The week was a tremendous success and highlighted exactly what Skill Up Week aims to achieve: giving pupils the opportunity to develop new skills, challenge themselves, and discover interests that may stay with them long after their GCSE examinations are over.
Chris Wheatland
Head of Physics
