Screams, smiles as Scouts take to skies - The Canberra Times

Alexandra Turvey, 8, of Ainslie, takes part in the Scouts Australia NSW air activity centre flying days at Canberra Airport. Photo: Melissa Adams

It was worth being prepared for a scream - at least on take-off, as groups of Scouts as young as seven took their first ever trip in a plane over Canberra on the weekend.

The Scouts Air Activities Team brought two of the organisation's Cessna 172s down to Canberra Airport and took about 80 children (and more than a handful of adult leaders and parents) on flights over the capital on Saturday and Sunday.

Organiser Julian Yates, a pilot and Canberra Scout leader, said aviation was a part of the Scouts' overall program where kids could find out more about flying and earn badges. "It's an optional thing where they learn about flying, how aircraft fly, how air traffic control works, and the flying part is one part of that … it's not just a joy flight for the sake of it," he said.

Max Grazziadelli, 9, of Narrabundah, and Rebecca Kriticos, 7, of Weetangera. Photo: Melissa Adams

Most of the Canberra Scouts who went up in the tiny aircraft over the weekend had never been in a plane before, and Mr Yates said as their apprehension gave way to smiles it gave the pilots a "real thrill".

"They're a four-seat aircraft so it's a pretty intense experience, they wear headsets, they get to hear all the radio control, they can see what's going on, and, of course, they get a great flight over the city," he said.

"They always comment on how small everything looks, they comment on toy cars, they comment on how many people have swimming pools, and when they see their own house they get really excited … and the other area when you always get the screams is when you lift off."

Local leader Darren Kriticos said it was the first time the program had come down from Camden to Canberra in more than a decade, and all the children "had a ball".

"The full range of reactions from wall-to-wall beaming smiles, to some of them [being] a little queasy when they came off - there was a little bit of turbulence," he said.

His daughter, Rebecca, aged 7, was one of the youngest to go up, and said she felt a little air sick but overall really enjoyed the flight.

"We went around Canberra and I saw Telstra Tower with a good view," she said.

After the weekend was hugely over-subscribed, Mr Yates said the Air Activities Team would look to bring the program back to Canberra for another trip next year.