Grant Shapps airborn today
8:37am Saturday 10th May 2008
WELWYN Hatfield MP Grant Shapps will take to the skies above Welwyn Garden City today with one of the Review reporters.
Both Mr Shapps and reporter Alexandra Barham will join scout groups from across Hertfordshire for a lesson in flying light aircraft at Panshangar airfield.
Private pilots and aircraft owners based at the aerodrome in Cole Green will be taking around 58 young people, aged eight to 17, on a 20-minute flight in a light aircraft as part of national Young Aviators Day.
Together with the short flight will be a series of other activities including map reading, an airfield tour, and an aerial treasure hunt.
Organiser Colin Hastings said: "The pilots at Panshanger love flying; it is our passion and we want to encourage future aviators by sharing our flying passion in a hope that some young people will embark either on an aviation career or just for the self-satisfaction of saying "I'm a pilot".
"We want young people to appreciate the passion of the skies."