On Aug. 25, Warrant Officer Second Class Georgia Greenough with the No. 40 Snowbird Squadron in Moose Jaw received her glider pilot’s wings, after graduating from the air cadet glider course.
The program was a seven-week glider pilot training course offered at the Brandon Cadet Training Centre in Brandon, Man.
Greenough was initially hesitant to join the cadet program, but decided to try it out when a close friend invited her.
“I actually had a friend from school text me one night and say ‘hey, I’m going to an open house at cadets, do you want to come?’ And I’m like sure, I’ll go,” Greenough explained. “I had no idea about the program. I heard it mentioned but didn’t have any plans to join.”
Since joining, she made several new friends and said the best part of the experience was the community aspect.
“It makes it easy to make really good friends that are always there for each other,” Greenough said. “I showed up one night and absolutely loved it from that point on. I’ll be starting my sixth year now.
“It definitely allows so many cool opportunities,” she added. “There’s no other youth program where you can go for seven weeks in the summer and just go flying…”
The course includes a combination of flying and classroom lessons. It takes 50 flights to qualify to write the final exam.
Cadets who earn their wings can use several cadet flying sites around the province for weekend flight training, including one in Moose Jaw that’s only 20 minutes away from where Greenough lives.
Greenough said she was motivated to take the course after hearing other cadets talk about it.
“In level one, it’s kind of the big course that everyone talks about,” she explained.
As soon as Greenough was able to apply, she signed up for ground school to learn the theory behind flying. When she wrote her final exam, her score qualified her to apply for the glider course.
Greenough loves the challenge of flight but also the sense of serenity. “For me, it’s just so free and quiet, because we’re in a glider so we don’t have an engine. It’s super quiet up there. You get to turn elegantly… it’s just really peaceful actually.
“Eventually you get to a point in the course where you go ‘hey, I want to go flying every day!’”
After she graduates from high school, Greenough said her plan is to enter the health-care field. Until then, her next step is to take the cadet instructor course.
Still, flying is something that’ll stick with her for the rest of her life.
“I’ve always loved flying, and grew up around it living in Moose Jaw,” she said. Now that she has her wings, Greenough said she will fly on weekends as often as she can. “I don’t think it’s ever something that won’t be a part of my life.”
The cadet program is an excellent way for youths to learn valuable life skills. Greenough said she has learned about responsibility and how to look after yourself independently.
Everyone in the glider course is 16 and older, so there’s minimal supervision.
“You can turn off the lights and sit on your phone for hours if you really wanted to, so there is that responsibility piece of it about going to bed at the right time, eating the right things, taking care of yourself…”
One of the most important applications is in post-secondary education. “As I’m going into my Grade 12 year and thinking about going into post-secondary, it allows me to not be nearly as nervous about going out and living on my own,” she said.
Greenough said anyone sitting on the fence about joining the cadet program should give it a try. “I would say just try it — that’s exactly what I did.”
She was a bit nervous to join at first, but now she’s glad she did.
“I was driving in the car… and said ‘oh, what if I don’t like it?’ My mother said, ‘If you don’t like it, you can just stop’.” Her advice is to try it out and she said there’s no shame in not liking it. “It’s not for everyone, but it’s an amazing program if it is for you.”
The Canadian Cadet Program provides youth between the ages of 12 to 18 the opportunity to experience training, community activities, specialized courses, and teaches life skills including confidence and leadership. Air cadets focus on aviation familiarity, air crew survival, and cadets who qualify for specialized training could earn their pilot’s licence.
To enrol in the cadet program, visit the D.V. Currie Armoury in Moose Jaw during any training night or reach out by phone or email. Air cadets can be reached at 306-692-7707 or 40air@cadets.gc.ca; sea cadets can be reached at 306-690-3108 or 99sea@cadets.gc.ca; army cadets can be reached at 1856army@cadets.gc.ca.
Cadet training is held at the D.V. Currie Armoury located at 1215 Main Street North.
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