The school holidays are looming large and parents are scrambling to come up with day-filling activities to keep the kids entertained. At a loss what to do? We thought you might be. So, if your 10 to 15-year-old is mad about aviation (or even only mildly curious) why not check out Pterodactyl Helicopters’ Junior Aviator program? It’s sure to blow your kid’s mind and propel you instantly to coolest parent alive status.
What is this Junior Aviator Program?
In short, it is likely to be the best day a young flight enthusiast can imagine.
Specifically, Pterodactyl Helicopters’ will take your child under their wing and immerse them in a typical day at the helipad. Our junior aviators get first-hand experience in ground crew duties, the wrangling of helicopter passengers and – naturally – some quality time in the air.
We provide our Junior Aviators with lunch and drinks throughout the day, so no need to bring a thing.
And yes, there will be a cap and t-shirt.
Cost is $275 per child for the full day of aviation madness.
How is the day structured?
Our Junior Aviator Program starts early – which will save you from the continuous loop of “Is it time to go YET?” that is certain to begin at the crack of dawn – and we ask that you deliver your youngsters to our Lake Manchester hangar by 7.30 am. On average you won’t see them again til around 4 pm, though times can vary slightly depending on the flight activities of the day; so make some nice plans for your own day off.
Once on location, the children receive their cap and shirt and jump straight into their duties as trainee members of our ground crew. They will inspect and fuel a helicopter, check the weather and notices to airmen for the flight area of the day and then get the chopper from the hangar to the heli pad.
While our (non-junior) ground crew travels to our joy flight destination by ute, the kids will get a real taste of the many safety procedures we have to run before take-off, including how to give a safety brief to helicopter passengers.
Then – FINALLY – it’s time to load up and fly!
At the landing site, the Junior Aviators re-join the ground crew and get to spend the rest of the day getting into the nitty-gritty of working with chartered choppers. From re-fuelling (hands-off) and taking water samples (hands-on), to handling paperwork and interacting with passengers – our helicopter load master and experienced ground crew will make sure the kids get a go at everything – everything that doesn’t require a license, that is.
And, best of all, as we run our usual joy flights during the day, many of the young aviators will get to ride along in our helicopters as the weight and passenger limit permits.
At the end of the day our junior crew is flown back to Lake Manchester, where we will show them how to fill out the day’s paperwork, log the flight hours and bed down our choppers for the night.
If this day is just the ticket to put a smile on your kids’ faces this school holiday, contact Pterodactyl Helicopters and book them in for our Junior Aviation Program today.