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Whitby scouts become pilots for a day
Youngsters are flying high over Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay during a visit to an RAF base.
Twelve members of 1st Robin Hood's Bay Scouts enjoyed a full day tour of RAF Linton-on-Ouse learning about all the different aspects of life in the RAF.
The children learnt how soldiers provide ground-based support for the RAF in areas of conflict and had the chance to inspect and experience some of the kit they use, including camouflage paint.
They also enjoyed a tour around the base's fire department, had the opportunity to see controllers at work at the radar screens and in the tower control room watching them work as planes were taking off and landing outside.
Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects was the chance to see a flight simulator and how it is used to help train pilots with some of the scouts experiencing flying in it complete with take-off, rolls and landing.
Computer graphics on the simulator are matched to the landscape pilots will cover from RAF Linton so the scouts actually flew over Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay.
The final stop of the day was to the aircraft hanger where the Tucano aircraft are maintained and the scouts were given a detailed tour of a Tucano plane by flying instructor Flight Lieutenant John Le Cornu, an ex-student of Whitby Community College. All the scouts sat in the cockpit of a Tucano while some of the current trainee pilots explained the instruments and controls.
Scout Leader, Stuart Matthewson, told the Whitby Gazette: "We all had a fantastic day. It was a privilege to be able to see close up the orkings of an operational RAF station."
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Weather for Whitby
Saturday 19 May 2012
Today
Heavy rain
Temperature: 6 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North
