Belfast teenagers have become the first to win flying scholarships to help them achieve their dreams of becoming pilots.
Frank Bozo and Morgan Pettigrew, both 17, have been selected as the first in the UK to benefit from the new initiative created by L3Harris and The Prince’s Trust.
Last week they travelled to London and met with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales at the official opening of L3Harris’ London Training Centre.
Frank, a pupil at Ashfield Boys' School, said: "It has been an amazing experience to be here today to see the new L3Harris training centre and meet His Royal Highness. I was so happy to be selected for The Prince’s Trust Flying Scholarship and can’t wait for our first training session in September.
"I have always dreamed of flying a plane, but never thought I would get the opportunity to. When I heard about this scholarship I jumped at the chance to attend the selection day at Aldergrove.
"We took part in team building and leadership activities before being interviewed and I couldn’t believe it when I heard I had got the place!"
The Flying Scholarship is a new initiative created by L3Harris as part of the RAF 100 Legacy to support young people into careers in flying.
The scholarship aims to support the shared goal of L3Harris and The Prince’s Trust to increase diversity within the aviation industry and support more people to achieve their dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot.
This is the first year of the scholarship which has the potential to support three young people per year for the next ten years. The pupils selected will undertake their training at L3Harris Airline Academy in Bournemouth from September 2019.
Mark Dougan, NI Director, The Prince’s Trust , said: "The idea for this scholarship came from conversations the The Lord Lieutenant of Belfast Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle CBE had with Ron Cook Chief Executive L3Harris UK, and the RAF about ways to make aviation more accessible to young people.
"We are delighted L3Harris chose to partner with us at The Prince’s Trust to offer this incredible opportunity to young people in Northern Ireland. At The Trust we believe that with the right opportunities young people can develop their self-confidence, unleash their talent and reach their full potential."
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