CPC students catch helicopter ride back to school

Two CPC Transition Year students had the week of their lives, on a careers introduction course with the Irish Air Corps, writes Brian Byrne. The week finished this afternoon with a flight for Tara McCormack and Oisin Monks by helicopter from Baldonnell to the College, landing on the football ground. CPC TY coordinator Glenda Groome was also on the flight. 

The week was organised in conjunction with TYhub.ie, and a third CPC student, Darragh Keenan, also participated in the event.

Though originally scheduled for an 11am takeoff, cloud cover at the aerodrome delayed things, and they finally landed at 1.15pm after a 12-minute flight. They were met by CPC principal Joe Leonard and a number of their teachers and classmates, although the delayed flight meant many students had just gone home.

During the week the pair had taken part in a range of Air Corps experiences across the engineering, administration and training sections, including an opportunity to 'fly' a plane in a flight simulator.

"That was really cool," Oisin told the Diary, adding that he had always planned to join the Defence Forces when he finishes school. Will this experience tilt him towards the Air Corps? "Not sure, yet."

For Tara, who hasn't any post-school plans yet, the week was 'brilliant and a lot of fun'. "Especially the helicopter flight," she added, "and we also got to handle the guns that the Defence Forces use." For all three CPC people, it was the first experience in that kind of aircraft. 

A TV crew working on behalf of the Air Corps were with the group throughout the course, which included students from a number of other schools, including Patrician College in Newbridge.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy