THE WALSH MEMORIAL SCOUT FLYING SCHOOL 2021
06.01.2021 - 20.01.2021
The Walsh Memorial Scout Flying School is a two week flying camp in Matamata, run by SCOUTS New Zealand. Places are limited to 70 students and you have to apply to get in, so you need to be passionate about flying. The camp involves flying, flying and more flying! Accommodation is camping, so 70 students are organised into flight groups. There is camping, activities and duties as well as flying.
At Walsh I gained 9 hours of duel flying experience, with my instructor Glen Sycamore (also known as ‘Syco’). This is in addition to the 3.4 hours I already had before the school. I also gained 0.2 hours of solo flight. This means I now have 12.4 hours of duel flight time and 0.2 hours solo flight. I am slowly gaining the hours and filling in the log book!
I had my first solo flight in a Cessna 152 on the morning of the 16th of January. When Syco left the plane after doing a few circuits, I realised I was in control of the plane. Being in the plane by yourself with no instructor next to you was a strange feeling but was also empowering. I was flying the plane. There was no one there to correct me, I was the one to correct myself. Every small movement in the plane has an effect and those small movements were made by me! Once I had completed a left-hand circuit and landed the plane - it was the best feeling! The Walsh tradition for when you complete your first solo flight is to be dunked with water by students that have also completed their first solos!
My three top highlights of the 2021 Walsh Memorial Scout Flying School:
The flying.
Wake up, fly, repeat. This was the top highlight because we were completely absorbed in aviation world. We only had to worry about missing our flights and duties! We were constantly learning our checks, different parts of the aircraft and the aspects of flight. Having that much flying experience at once boosted my flying knowledge and has confirmed my passion for aviation and my future career!
Aerobatics was another flying experience that was awesome. Being in an aircraft while it is rolling in the air is impressive. Pulling back on the control column and continuing to pull back is not a natural instinct! While looking ‘up’ where you are looking at the ground rather than the blue sky does mess with your brain! Thank you to Nick Rowe who took me up and gave me the opportunity to experience aerobatics!
The people.
The camp wouldn’t have been the same without the people. Being surrounded by like-minded people with similar goals was awesome. Everyone had the same goal of going solo and was there for the love of aviation! I wasn’t the odd one out when I looked up at the sky and was like ‘wow, there is a plane!’. There were 16 of us in Flight 2 (obviously the best flight group!) and we camped, did duties and hung out together. By the end of the camp we became a close knit bunch and still keep in close contact!
The experiences.
While we were at Walsh we were opened up to many opportunities on and off the grounds. One of the evenings we went to the Opal Hot Pools and on the 15th of January we went to Mount Maunganui for a beach trip. Both of these experiences was a nice brain break from studying along with hanging out with friends!
At the end of the camp there is a prize giving. I was lucky enough to be awarded the Air New Zealand - International Airline Award for a Boeing 787 Simulator training experience plus “work experience day” following a crew on a day’s flying operation. A special mention and thank you to Air New Zealand Captain David Morgan who sponsored the award. I am very much looking forward to taking up this opportunity.
Another opportunity Walsh opens you up to is the Air New Zealand WINGs Mentoring Programme (WINGs - Women Inspiring the Next Generation). This programme pairs you up with a female from Air New Zealand to help mentor you in all aspects of aviation.
Through contacts made at Walsh Memorial, I was also offered a place on an upcoming gliding camp at Easter (which I have gratefully taken).
Thank you to all of the staff, instructors and students who were part of Walsh Memorial Scout Flying School 2021!