Microlite Glider Course (India)

On 1 December 2009, six Cadet Lieutenants had the opportunity to visit India to participate in the prestigious Microlite Glider Course. Here is an excerpt from an interview conducted with one of the participants who had a first-hand experience of flying the glider:

C/LTA Chin Jia Wei said : “The main highlight of the trip is, of course, to fly the glider plane itself. It has always been my dream to sit in the cock-pit and take to the skies. The glider course gave me the perfect opportunity to fulfill my dream. Although we were not allowed to fly solo, I felt like a pilot…somehow. I have also learnt that flying as a pilot was not as easy as I always thought it would be. It wasn't like those virtual simulators that I used to practice on. Flying the glider was far more complicated, where the slightest error could snowball into a dire situation, the stray bird you spotted could be a real threat.”

Through this trip, the cadets have much to take away. Pushing the plane back together to its original position after it was flown, staying away from their comforting homes for the longest time for the first time, jostling for the lavatory when we were not used to the foreign dishes are but few of the unforgettable memories the team share.