“I expected it to be this really small thing, where a couple of people would come along, have an experience in the flight simulator and see what flying is all about,” explained Ben.
However, the response to Ben’s offer of lessons was incredible and more than 100 students signed up. Most importantly for Ben though, the students attending the training sessions were from a range of backgrounds.
“From the start I wanted to push for a more diverse mix of people,” Ben told us. “Each session we’ve had different cultures and different genders. It’s been great to see them using these sessions to potentially break into the industry, which has traditionally been male dominated.”
Following your support to Cascade, Ben has been able to order multiple simulators and open the sessions to even more students or give attendees extra lessons.
“Flying is very expensive and with the cost-of-living crisis, people are worrying about places to live and just heating their own home, which means that some people simply can’t afford to try it out. Thanks to you, we can provide an opportunity to more people and give them the confidence to enter this industry once they finish university.”