FOUR lucky pupils from Lochgelly High School are flying high after being selected to take part in a unique flying scholarship designed to lead them to fly solo at the controls of a glider.

Registered charity, the Air League Trust, supported by British Airways, has created the gliding scholarship and is working with schools across the UK to give teenagers the opportunity to learn to fly a glider solo and realise their own potential.

The four successful candidates will now take part in a ten day week training programme at the Scottish Gliding Centre in Scotlandwell.

Lochgelly High School was the only Scottish school of the five throughout the UK chosen to take part in the scholarship programme.

The pupils were selected from 20 at the school who took part in a “taster” day at the Scottish Gliding Centre at Scotlandwell, only a short drive from the school.

Students took part in a range of activities around the Gliding Centre, culminating in the highlight of the day, each student experiencing two glider flights with the centre’s volunteer flying instructors.

The ten students selected to go forward then travelled to British Airways’ engineering facility at Glasgow Airport where they completed the second part of the selection process before being shown round the hangar.

British Airways Maintenance Glasgow (BAMG) carries out all major maintenance on the airline’s short haul fleet of Airbus aircraft..

Air League trustee and British Airways pilot, Senior First Officer Andy Perkins said, “All the candidates were a great credit not only to themselves, but to the school and their teachers.

“In fact, so high was the quality, that instead of the original three scholarships that we planned to offer, we decided to award four – the first time we have done that.

“Our judges had an extremely difficult task to chose the four who will now go through to the scholarship and had to think long and hard about their final choices. Those who didn’t make it can still be very proud of their performance over the two days. However, we congratulate the successful group and look forward to seeing them when they come along to the Scottish Gliding Centre next month to take part in the scholarship and work towards taking the controls of the glider on their first solo flight..” He added, “I was lucky enough to get into flying on a similar programme with the Air League more than 15 years ago. Not only did that help me build my confidence but it gave me a love of flying and inspired me to pursue a career in aviation.

“Now, as a British Airways pilot, I’m delighted I can help young people discover a love for flying and realise their own potential.

“Regardless of whether these teenagers go on to become pilots, this programme will help them develop a host of valuable life skills.” LHS rector Carol Ann Penrose Campbell said, “This has been a wonderful couple of days for our pupils. Gliding and aviation on the whole is not something that our pupils are readily exposed to and The Air League support has focused the minds of a number of our seniors.

“The Gliding Centre staff were extremely generous with their time and efforts yesterday and the same should be said for the staff at British Airways.

“Providing a range of opportunities for Lochgelly High School pupils is something we are always keen to explore and this has certainly been a rich experience and one that I would fully endorse. Our four finalists are understandable ecstatic and we look forward to working with the Gliding Centre in the future.”