Edward (Ed) in Year 13 was recently invited to a reception at the Royal Aeronautical Society, London, in recognition of the Gliding Scholarship he was awarded by them earlier this year.

The formal reception earlier this month was a great experience, where Ed met like minded individuals from all over the country, sharing in the love of flight.

In 2021, Ed and his father enjoyed a trial glider flight as a birthday experience and as Ed says, he’s just never stopped going! He’s always had an interest in powered flight, joining the RAF contingent of the LGS CCF in Year 10.

Even though he’s busy with his study in Year 13 in his downtime he chooses to pilot a glider, sharing thermals with buzzards and relaxing in the peace and relative quiet whilst enjoying the often-spectacular views.

At the start of the year Ed investigated the scholarships available from the Royal Aeronautical Society and completed the on-line submission. Several months later he was delighted to receive notification that he had been awarded £500 funding towards his ongoing glider training.

This year has been a year of firsts for Ed. In the spring he completed his first 1-hour solo flight and by the start of the summer he’d completed a 5-hour solo flight, by the end of the summer he’d completed his Bronze skills test and the Height and Duration elements of his Silver test, but he’s still working towards his Cross Country endorsement and 50km distance flight.

Looking to the future Ed is working towards a career in the RAF and, in the coming year, taking part in cross country glider competitions.