Creating the Young Aviators area at the Bull Creek Museum was especially a highlight of my time as Manager at the Bull Creek museum – specifically designed to provide hands-on STEM based activities for youngsters to experience, including the use of simulation – indeed the Young Aviators area, together with the introduction of the Bomber Command Berlin Blitz VR and the Macchi VR were really my first steps towards eventually creating MAHE.
With fond memories of being a member of the Air Training Corps in the UK during my youth and currently a member of the RAAFA WA Australian Air Force Cadets Branch WA, I know how influential flying can be in a young persons life – it is not for everyone of course – but MAHE is at least here to provide another alternative to those wishing to “give it a go” – without the high cost of flying in an actual aircraft and in a safe environment – importantly the first flight in a real small aircraft can be overwhelming, whereas through VR I believe it allows the student to experience the spatial environment and use of the controls in a more relaxed and rewarding way, before trying the real thing.
In this respect, MAHE has been established to reflect and inform Students about their heritage, but it’s goal is to also inspire – considering the past and present – but also our future.
MAHE’s Student Flight Experience is primarily aimed at those aged 12 to 17 year olds – although older students are also very welcome – who would like to learn more about Australian Airmen who served in Britain during WW2 while taking control of a small aircraft to see and experience the militarised place in Britain where many of their fellow young Australian pilots flew in the 1940s
This experience differs from our Airfield Tour in that it is a chance for “Ab Initio” students to operate and understand flying a small aircraft properly rather than in a simple “gaming” simulator mode
Flights will include for example taking off and and landing at the famous airfield at Cranwell College, Lincolnshire used for cadet training since 1919 and in a County steeped in military aviation heritage including Australian No 3 Squadron (Australian Flying Corp) in 1916 who trained during WW1in Lincolnshire for 8 months on Avro 504 and BE2e aircraft prior to heading to the Western front in France – with flights focused on basic flying techniques and operation of the aircraft in the same way real Air Cadets take their own first “Ab Initio” flights
Please see Community page for further information
