Launched in September 2022, the IFFR Brian Condon Memorial Flying Scholarship competition was established by IFFR Australia to help a young person to get into a career in aviation. It attracted many entries of a very high standard from all around Australia. And at the end of January, the winner was announced. The winner, receiving flight training to the value of $5,000.00 is Jack Gorman, whose application was submitted and endorsed by the Rotary Club of Kenmore, Queensland.
Jack’s biography shows a young man committed to his school, studies, aviation, and participation in the Youth initiatives of his local Rotary Club in Kenmore. He is a School Captain of Kenmore State High School in Year 12, enjoys his studies including extra-curricular music and German. Jack is an NCO in the Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC), a participant in the Rotary Aspiring Leaders and Youth Driver Awareness Programs as well as the ANZAC Day events run by the AAFC.
Jack was given a gift of a Trial Instruction Flight for his birthday and fell in love with flying and aviation generally including the theory of flight taught by the AAFC Cadets. He had previously applied for a school-holidays Elementary Flight Training School course through the AAFC, had been accepted and was one of a few cadets who managed to fly solo by the completion of the course. He hopes to fly with the RAAF on completion of his schooling; in the meantime, he will undertake his RPL at Flightscope Aviation in Archerfield, Queensland. His parents are fully supportive of his aviation ambitions and naturally very proud of their son.
Jack has now provided IFFR Australia with his first report, and it sounds like its all going well:
“I had my first flying lesson with Flightscope on Saturday just gone. It was fantastic. My instructor and I focused on becoming familiar with the Cessna 172 – an aircraft which was very different to the Diamond DA40. The instructor said I adjusted very well and picked it up quickly. I had an amazing time, it was really great to be up in the air again.“
A few days later, he was back revising circuits and touch and go’s in the 172, and has now provided us with some photos.
So, congratulations to Jack, we are sure he will make IFFR Australia, and Brian Condon’s family proud as he embarks on his journey “onwards and upwards” in realising his aviation aspirations.