High flyers all benefited from bursaries

At the 2-15 World Junior Gliding Championships, held at Narromine Australia, from the 1st to the 12th December 2015, the Great Britain team performed exceptionally well. Tom Arscott was awarded the gold medal at Club Class; Sam Roddie was awarded the bronze medal at Club Class; Matt Davis came 10th at Standard Class and Mike Gatfield came 13th at Standard Class. The Great Britain Junior team at these Championships was the most successful of any national team taking part.

What makes these achievements all the more laudable, is the fact that that all four had previously been awarded bursaries by the Royal Aero Club Trust under their Flying for Youth scheme. Tom was awarded an initial bursary in 2009 and a follow-up bursary in 2015; Sam was awarded a bursary in 2012; Matt was awarded an initial bursary in 2008 and a follow-up bursary in 2015; and Mike was awarded an initial bursary in 2012.

All applied as part of strong fields for these bursaries and have previously given credit to and thanked the Trust for recognising their skills and dedication, and providing the means to help them develop their gliding skills and achieve their success.

At the Championships, Tom Arscott was taking part in his first international competition and found the experience elating. He is now entitled to enter the 2016 World Senior Championships in Lithuania and hopes to gain useful local knowledge before defending his World Junior title in 2017 in the same area. Sam Roddie will no longer be eligible to compete as a junior, but will return to his job as a development engineer at Rolls Royce and hopes to compete seriously in the senior ranks. Matt Davis was taking part in his third junior world championships, and will also now compete at senior level. The Royal Aero Club Trust wishes all four the very best of fortune.

Details of the Royal Aero Club Trust flying for youth scheme are at: http://www.royalaeroclubtrust.org/bursaries.html.