Girl Guides Flying Experience

My Flying Experience

by Asheigh (14)

Day 1

In the school holidays I started my flying experience for the Air Activities component of the Trefoil 3 Outdoors badge, along with Elizabeth, Zayda, Kaitlyn, Skyla and Jacinta. We spent the afternoon with the Ballarat Aero Club learning what all the different parts of the plane are, and how they all work. We had a look at a plane and labelled lots of its different parts, and got to look inside the plane at all the controls. They were all very interesting and there were so many buttons and levers.

We were taught many things and the assessment included :

• knowing the phonetic alphabet
• converting 24-hour time
• identifying aircraft components and controls
• reading synoptic charts
• the function of CASA and Air Traffic Control

We watched a short video about someone planning on a long trip in a plane and they told us some safety methods and lots of helpful tips. I found this day very interesting as I previously knew nothing about planes.  I felt that I learn a lot.

Day 2

On the second afternoon we got to go up in the plane and see how it works in action.

We all got to have a go individually. Before I went up I was very nervous and scared. Once it was my turn I got in the seat and I felt comfortable and relaxed. I got to try on the big radio headset that the pilots use when they are in the air to talk to each other and communicate who is going where and when. They were very big and sound cancelling.

Next it was time to go up in the air. On the way up I held on very tight, but it was so much fun (not what I was expecting). The view up in the air was amazing, and everything, even the airport, looked tiny. Up in the air the pilot had to make sure that the horizon was in the middle of the windscreen.

We travelled towards Lake Wendouree. It was so big compared to everything else.  When the plane was turning it felt like it was in a vertical line and that you would fall out (except that there were doors and windows). On our way back to the aerodrome I saw my school, so the pilot turned the plane and we went and had a closer look. It looked very small from how high up I was.

Then we went back to the aerodrome and landed safely. Although it was fun up there it was good to be back on the ground.

Flying in the small plane like that is an experience that I will never forget.

Girl Guides Ballarat thank the team at Ballarat Aero Club for the time they spent with our Guides and for making alternative arrangements to work around the bad weather. This was an incredible opportunity for the girls and we appreciate the support provided.