Youth aviation group to host open evening

A LOCAL youth aviation organisation is opening its doors on Thursday nights in a bid to attract new recruits.

The Omagh Air Cadets, who have been successfully running for more than 30 years, will be showcasing the best of what they offer to interested teenagers and parents.

Potential recruits will have the opportunity to experience the new flight simulator and get talking to current cadets about their experiences they’ve had so far.

Anticipating to see new faces, Flying Officer Kathy McHugh said, “We are really excited to open up our gates this Thursday for the community to come and see what we do. With our new fully-immersive flight simulator we hope to inspire potential newcomers to join and push them to eventually go flying in a real plane.

“Alongside our simulator, we will be showing our guests the first aid, field craft and Duke of Edinburgh opportunities we offer in Omagh.”

She added, “The cadets are a great experience for kids to not only get flying, but to gain exceptional qualifications, experiences and friends that they will carry for the rest of their lives. We have had dozens of cadets flying, first aid trained, gained BTECs and scholarships as well as building confidence and leadership through our courses.”

The air cadets will be opening their gates from 7pm to 7.15pm, with presentations starting at 7.30pm, at their St Lucia Barracks site on the Derry Road for new recruits aged 12 to 17. Parents are free to stay for the night if they wish. For any enquiries, contact adj.72@rafac.mod.gov.uk for more information.