Gliding club's 15 year old pilot receives bursary from airline career company

AirlinePrep is a specialist airline career development business offering coaching and advice to both experienced and aspiring pilots in readiness for the pilot assessment and selection process at flight schools and airlines. As their own youngsters entered the world of aviation at the Southdown Gliding Club, the founders generously offered a bursary to help a club member develop their own flying skills, ideally for the benefit of the club and the wider membership, as well as themselves. The club announced the bursary in late August and received a host of applications from the gliding club’s members.

Now, Southdown Gliding Club are delighted to announce that the 2023 AirlinePrep Bursary goes to 15 yr-old Aidan McDonald. Aidan has been a member of the club since early 2021. Following initial training by the Club’s volunteer instructors, he first flew solo at the age of 14 in July 2022, and now flies the club single seat gliders (Astir and LS4B). His goal is to progress through to achieving his Sailplane Pilots Licence and then to become one of youngest basic gliding instructors at the club and in the UK. Today’s award will help fund the flying experience and further tuition he needs to achieve his goal.

A delighted Aidan said “I am so happy to have been awarded the AirlinePrep bursary. The bursary will help me achieve my flying goals this year which are to achieve qualifications so I can fly cross-country and to be able to fly members of the public for gliding experiences. I would like to thank Southdown and AirlinePrep for the opportunity and support”.

Stuart and Kerryn, Aidan’s parents, were equally delighted – “We are very proud of Aidan and extremely grateful for the support and guidance he has received from all the instructors and members at Southdown.”

Jamie Ritchie-Butler, one of the founders of AirlinePrep, added "I’m delighted it is being awarded to Aidan. He clearly set out with evidence how he was going to put the bursary to good use and his motivation is clear."

Southdown Gliding Club, founded in 1930, is one of the oldest gliding clubs in the UK. With 280 members, it is also the largest voluntary-run gliding club in the south of England. It provides training for complete beginners up to advanced cross-country and instructor levels. It also provides introductory flights for members of the public. Many of our advanced pilots have flown long distances of over 500 kms with our longest distance being at 760 kms. The club owns a fleet of three 2-seater gliders (for instruction) and three single-seat gliders, as well as 3 towplanes and a 2-seat motorglider. It operates from its own airfield outside Storrington in West Sussex just a mile or so from the escarpment of the beautiful South Downs. More information can be obtained at their website www.southdowngliding.co.,uk