LUCKY Hillingdon students were treated to a trip to St James’s Palace to meet the Duke of Edinburgh and a call from Captain Tim Peake recently.

The visit for the Douay Martyrs Catholic Secondary School students, courtesy of British Airways and the Air League, was arranged to celebrate a training programme developed to encourage more people into aviation.

The celebration began with all pupils receiving certificates before hearing a speech from Prince Philip, patron of The Air League.

Head teacher Tony Corish said: “I am delighted to see so many of our young people engaging with such exciting and challenging pursuits.

“They are a credit to the school and I wish them well in the world of aviation should they decide to embark upon a career in this field.”

The students were also treated to a call from Captain Tim Peake who had himself received an award for his work encouraging people to experience aviation.

Previously, 16 students from the school were taken up in gliders on a taster day.

They were taught interview skills and, following an interview day at the British airways Waterside Headquarters, were chosen, if successful, to take part in the ‘Gliding to Solo Scholarship Scheme’.

The students learnt to cover a range of manoeuvres from spins to stalls and one student, Rupinder Loyal, even managed to fly solo.

Image courtesy of Defence Images via Flickr with thanks