Flying ace aims high in New Zealand

Jan 16 2008 By Paul Bradley

A TEENAGE flying ace is set to take on some of the world's most aweinspiring landscapes - in the mountains of New Zealand.

Top Gun Ben Coombs, aged 18, a boarder at Bromsgrove School, has made it through a series of gruelling flying exams and interviews to win a place on an RAF exchange programme.

With just one hour of solo flying to his name, he is now set to fly over glaciers, valleys, lakes and oceans in New Zealand.

The RAF cadet is now studying for his biology, chemistry and German Alevels in the school's sixth form.

Ben, whose dad is a navigator at RAF Brize Norton, in Oxfordshire, said: "I've done nearly 40 hours' flying time in gliders and other aircraft where I have been with an instructor.

"Now I'm really excited about going to New Zealand and meeting other cadets and flying with them over some new circuits.

"Only three other cadets made it to this exchange programme and when I got the letter saying I had been chosen as one of them I just couldn't believe it."

Ben added: "I've had to do a lot of hard work to win this place.

"I've been a cadet since I was 14 and I have done gliding and flying scholarships as well as a sixth form scholarship.

"When I'm practising and I take controls in the air the instructor lets me do what I want - and for me that's always aerobatics.

"I'll do loops and stall turns where I take the aircraft up vertically until it nearly stalls and then fly it back down towards the ground until I get it under control again.

"I've even done some upside down flying, but that's pretty difficult."

After A-levels in June, Ben will spend two weeks flying, shooting, taking on assault courses and camping under the stars in New Zealand.

When he returns he has a new challenge - passing his driving test.