Solo at 16

On Monday the 26th June club members turned out to send Callum Reid solo on his 16th birthday. 16 is the minimum age you are legally allowed to fly a glider solo and Callum had been training for this day for the last 2 years, ever since he had a trial lesson through his school, Elgin High School.

Going solo on his birthday was not a formality as Callum had to prove to his instructor, Phil Penrose, that he was capable of making the solo flights on the day.

After a final few checks Callum was sent on his first solo winch launch. Callum's parents watched perhaps a little nervously as he made that first short 5 minute solo flight. Just to prove it was no fluke he made another 2 solo flights that evening.

Going solo is not the end of Callum's training and he will be required to have many check flights with an instructor in the future to make sure he doesn't pick up any bad habits and to allow him to fly solo in more difficult conditions, crosswinds for example.

Callum is pictured here with his instructor in the German built ASK-21 glider that he had most of his training and flew his first solo flights in.