What is WRAC about?

WRAC Is a programme run by West Rift Aviation Ltd, that gives young people aged 12- 17 the chance to learn about aviation by being involved in a range of activities. Parents or guardians are welcome to be involved and help you get set up and ready to go.

What is WRAC about?

You need to fill in a registration form which your parent or guardian needs to sign. Membership of the club is broadly classified into three (3) types and designed to maximize the Club’s capacity to meet its members’ goals. The types are listed below, and details of what each membership type entails can be found in the Club’s By-Laws.

• Regular Membership
• Discovery Membership
• Premium Membership

What will my flight be like?

You will be introduced to your pilot. Your pilot not only has all the right licences and medical certificates, but has been selected by the Club as someone who is experienced with the type of aircraft you will be in. The Chief Flying Instructor then signs them off as being a safe pilot to introduce you to fl¬ying.

You will be shown how to pre-flight the aircraft and taken through the safety procedures for being in the operating area and the aircraft itself. Then after a thorough briefing you will get in the aircraft, put on your headset so you can hear the radio calls and strap in. Your pilot will talk you through the pre take off checks and line up on the runway.

Then the engine will rev up and you will start rolling forward. As you get faster it gets a bit bumpy, then on lifting off the bumps stop and the view of the world changes. The view opens up and by500 feet (approximately 1minute after take-off) you will have a great view of the local area and be able to see for miles. You will be able to talk to the pilot throughout the ¬flight and see exactly what is going on. After what seems like no time at all you will be lining up to land and touching down.

What else will i get ti do as a WRAC Member?

WRAC members’ get to do a range of activities. The Club has weekly events which could involve anything from a trip away, to visiting an engineering base or a control tower. Whatever the activity, it will help you learn about aircraft and aviation in a safe and fun environment.

Will it be safe?

It is as safe as it can possibly be. The aircraft is maintained to a very high standard and the pilots are licensed and screened to make sure your pilot is experienced and safe.

Will there be any follow up?

When you have finished your ¬flight go ahead and ask your pilot lots more questions. They understand how exciting your first fl¬ight was and will want to share experiences with you. You will receive a WRAC badge and certificate telling everyone you are now a WRAC Member. The name and certificate number will be entered and sent on to the West Rift Aviation Head office.

What will it cost?

It will cost you very little just enquire at the Club offices. The WRAC programme is about giving young people the opportunity, at least once, to experience the freedom and pleasure that flying gives.

Club Objectives

Beyond our desire to provide members the best guidance in the region obtainable outside a formal training environment, West-Rift Aviators’ Club is set to create a warm, entertaining and informative environment where members can feel perfectly at ease in a learning space, explore their creativity and indulge in rewarding, productive challenges. The club on “auto-pilot” will also have the following desirable effects on members by default.

• Keep members productively occupied, hence out of trouble.
• Develop an involved and informed interest in aviation, and downplay blind admiration.
• Significantly improve members’ chances of securing gainful employment in the industry.
• Create networking opportunities and promote interaction with professionals.
• Provide interpersonal guidance through hands-on mentorship and participation.
• Teach to work in groups, develop a team-work attitude and promote volunteering.
• Mould/shape admirable Airman Personalities imbued with purpose, confidence and ability.

Membership

Club membership is open to all interested students between the ages of 12 and 17 years. Though passing grades in High-school science subjects are required to pursue most careers in aviation, the club is open to enthusiasts and hobbyists as well, and is as such not limited to science students alone.

Registration

Interested members may fill-out a registration form which can be obtained at the West-Rift Aviation Limited offices at Wilson airport. Completed forms are to be submitted to the notified authority along with a registration fee of 6,000kshs upon receipt of the completed forms and fees, members are issued a club membership card and online may access to the WRAC website where they have unlimited access to training sessions, milestone photos and videos, news and information, and discussion forums Completed and duly submitted registration forms also entitle members to receive a certificate of completion on successful conclusion of the club’s ground school and discovery fl¬ight syllables.

Duration

The West-Rift Aviators’ Club has come to stay, and members remain active as long as they remain within the club’s age limits. Just like every other ‘bird’, every aspiring young Airman has to “leave the nest” and set their sights to the skies; be it as a career, or for pleasure. For us, this age of pride is ‘18 Years’, but all ex- club members remain welcome to the club as volunteering mentors and assistants upon their departure. Ex- club members still stand a chance to redeem rewards earned towards Club Members’ reward observation fl¬ights, PPL training fl¬ights or PPL Ground School training rebates at West-Rift Aviation Limited after relinquishing active membership to the club.

Fees Structure