Three members of the Ponoka’s Air Cadet Squadron 65 have received their pilot licenses after several months of intense training.
Squadron commander Tracey Fiedler said all three had won scholarships after a very competitive process and two of them, F/Sgt Mitchell Pierce and F/Sgt Joel Paquet had received “power pilot” licenses and F/Sgt Daniel Theoret had received a glider pilot license.
The scholarships are provided by the Air Cadets program in partnership with the Department of National Defense.
In order to be accepted to the pilot training program, the three cadets attended four months of ground school training, followed by writing of several exams, completion of an application package for the scholarship and six weeks of preparation interviews before the final interview by a special panel.
Pierce said, having received his license, his immediate goal was to coach and train younger cadets by sharing his knowledge of flying, and ultimately, joining the Canadian Air Force as a pilot.
Paquet said he was going to focus specifically on his goal of becoming a fighter jet pilot with the air force. He said it was his childhood dream and that he was introduced to the world of military aviation by his father way back when he was a kid.
Theoret said having received his glider pilot would open a lot of possibilities for him, foremost among them that of receiving a power pilot license next year. He said his ultimate aim was to be able to get a commercial rating and fly planes for various purposes, including crop dusting.