Flight plans on course

Amber Liprino on the flightline at RAAF Wagga Wagga during the Air Force Tech Camp. Photo: Supplied

Flight ambition: Amber Liprino is up in the air with excitement.

The 16-year-old Werribee resident got to play out a Top Gun fantasy when she took part in the Air Force Technical Camp for Young Women at the Wagga Wagga RAAF base.

Amber was among 20 young women aged between 16 and 22 to get a taste of what life in the air force is like – experiencing military aviation and technical roles first-hand, the day-to-day routine at the RAAF base, mentoring sessions with technical trainees and engineers, public speaking tasks and team building activities.

“Overall, the week was pretty amazing,” she said.

“I really enjoyed aircraft marshalling. We squeezed a two-week course into six hours and we got to practise aircraft marshalling and then sit in the plane and see aircraft marshalling from the pilot’s perspective.

“The confidence course was also great. It focused a lot on military movements, strength training and team work.”

The camps, which have been running since 2013, are a boon for recruiting new members, with 79 per cent of participants going on to actively pursue careers with the air force.

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