1 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:04,960 it's , it's phenomenal . So some of 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,293 them don't even have a driver's license , 3 00:00:07,293 --> 00:00:09,238 they have more experience flying a 4 00:00:09,238 --> 00:00:11,182 plane than they do driving a car , 5 00:00:11,182 --> 00:00:14,970 started a high flight academy for 2022 6 00:00:14,980 --> 00:00:18,150 in june of this year . General Brown's 7 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:22,100 Radio diversity initiative to energize 8 00:00:22,110 --> 00:00:25,450 youth ages 16 up to 23 were trying to 9 00:00:25,460 --> 00:00:28,100 make the diversity of the Air Force 10 00:00:28,110 --> 00:00:30,640 more closely match the diversity of the 11 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,940 nation . I think everything is amazing 12 00:00:33,940 --> 00:00:36,162 that they're actually offering this , I 13 00:00:36,162 --> 00:00:38,380 think that a lot of our younger 14 00:00:38,380 --> 00:00:41,290 generation , um , they don't see a lot 15 00:00:41,290 --> 00:00:44,510 of pilots that look like them um , 16 00:00:45,220 --> 00:00:48,390 in the Air Force and commercial , they 17 00:00:48,390 --> 00:00:50,557 just don't see it . And so I feel like 18 00:00:50,557 --> 00:00:53,240 this program kind of lets them have the 19 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:55,290 opportunity to see that this is a 20 00:00:55,290 --> 00:00:58,750 possibility for them 33 week sessions 21 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:01,376 In which the students come out . The 22 00:01:01,376 --> 00:01:03,487 primary focus is flight training . So 23 00:01:03,487 --> 00:01:06,370 they get up to 15 hours of flight 24 00:01:06,370 --> 00:01:09,810 training in Cessna172 with 25 00:01:09,820 --> 00:01:12,350 a kind of a stretch goal to solo at the 26 00:01:12,350 --> 00:01:14,461 end of that 15 hours if they're ready 27 00:01:14,461 --> 00:01:16,517 being here throughout the nine weeks 28 00:01:16,517 --> 00:01:18,628 and watching all of the students um , 29 00:01:18,628 --> 00:01:20,850 from the time that they start literally 30 00:01:20,850 --> 00:01:23,250 not even knowing um , which rudder 31 00:01:23,250 --> 00:01:25,540 depressed as they're going down and 32 00:01:25,540 --> 00:01:28,290 then watching them just be fully 33 00:01:28,290 --> 00:01:30,457 confident in knowing that they're able 34 00:01:30,457 --> 00:01:32,970 to solo and fly that plane on their own 35 00:01:32,980 --> 00:01:35,780 is amazing . Um , that was probably the 36 00:01:35,780 --> 00:01:39,700 most rewarding part of students are the 37 00:01:39,700 --> 00:01:42,440 best . It is amazing to be able to 38 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:44,551 watch them grow from week one to week 39 00:01:44,551 --> 00:01:46,900 three . So they come in here , we pick 40 00:01:46,900 --> 00:01:49,122 them up from the airport , They're very 41 00:01:49,122 --> 00:01:51,067 shy , reserved , kind of ask a few 42 00:01:51,067 --> 00:01:53,067 questions , don't know what they're 43 00:01:53,067 --> 00:01:55,178 getting themselves into and then they 44 00:01:55,178 --> 00:01:57,511 do is they just take it and run with it , 45 00:01:57,511 --> 00:01:58,900 which has been awesome , 46 00:02:01,350 --> 00:02:03,680 getting up in the sky and really 47 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:05,624 getting the hands on experience is 48 00:02:05,624 --> 00:02:08,700 amazing . Um , the people like , you 49 00:02:08,710 --> 00:02:11,770 don't know anybody here and you come in 50 00:02:11,770 --> 00:02:14,490 flights as groups and what I really 51 00:02:14,490 --> 00:02:16,670 love is like really getting to know 52 00:02:16,670 --> 00:02:18,892 these people as well . Like the cadre , 53 00:02:18,892 --> 00:02:21,059 like I was saying earlier , getting to 54 00:02:21,059 --> 00:02:20,560 know the Condrey , getting to know the 55 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:23,380 student body . It's like , wow , you 56 00:02:23,380 --> 00:02:25,440 understand , we're like , I guess 57 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,080 saying hi to me so far for the past 2.5 58 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,320 weeks has been , I guess not what I 59 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,542 expected . I thought it was just flight 60 00:02:32,542 --> 00:02:34,709 training and just like military and on 61 00:02:34,709 --> 00:02:36,931 honesty and just going through like a 9 62 00:02:36,931 --> 00:02:38,987 to 5 flying day sims and like ground 63 00:02:38,987 --> 00:02:41,460 school , but in the past two weeks I 64 00:02:41,460 --> 00:02:43,627 think it's been a little bit more than 65 00:02:43,627 --> 00:02:45,571 that . Like the flight that I'm in 66 00:02:45,571 --> 00:02:47,793 charlie . Um honestly I think I'm gonna 67 00:02:47,793 --> 00:02:49,960 keep in touch with these kids . Like I 68 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,071 think they're going to be some , some 69 00:02:52,071 --> 00:02:54,238 good friends in the future in aviation 70 00:02:54,238 --> 00:02:56,238 mentorship is a big part of it as a 71 00:02:56,238 --> 00:02:58,349 staff were trying to model what right 72 00:02:58,349 --> 00:03:00,571 looks like as , as an air force and the 73 00:03:00,571 --> 00:03:02,404 end goal is to , is to give them 74 00:03:02,404 --> 00:03:04,516 something to aspire to , to give them 75 00:03:04,516 --> 00:03:06,738 the students the confidence through the 76 00:03:06,738 --> 00:03:08,793 flight training and encouragement to 77 00:03:08,793 --> 00:03:11,110 let them know that they can they can do 78 00:03:11,110 --> 00:03:12,960 things they otherwise might have 79 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:14,738 thought they couldn't . We want 80 00:03:14,738 --> 00:03:16,960 everybody to apply . I don't care where 81 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,016 you come from . I don't care how you 82 00:03:19,016 --> 00:03:21,293 grew up . I don't care your background . 83 00:03:21,293 --> 00:03:22,904 I want you to know that this 84 00:03:22,904 --> 00:03:25,127 opportunity is here for you and that we 85 00:03:25,127 --> 00:03:27,238 would love for you to be able to come 86 00:03:27,238 --> 00:03:29,404 down and learn how to fly with us once 87 00:03:29,404 --> 00:03:31,970 you get into senior leadership is One 88 00:03:31,970 --> 00:03:34,200 of your major obligations is to train 89 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:36,830 your replacement . So I hope I've done 90 00:03:36,830 --> 00:03:39,520 that with 72 students over the summer .