Air museum inspires academic ambition

18-year-old Felicity Hood is about to reach new heights in her academic journey, inspired by her time spent as a volunteer at Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre at Newquay Airport.

Felicity enjoyed a week’s work experience with FLYNQY some years ago which created a spark of inspiration to find further opportunities in aviation in Cornwall. 

Shortly after that Felicity began volunteering with Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre (CAHC) in a bid to gain more knowledge of the aviation world.  The scope of her voluntary work at CAHC has included welcoming visitors as a guide around the museum and working with the aircraft restoration team – between lockdowns!

On the recent completion of her A Levels in Maths, Physics and Geography at Truro & Penwith College, Felicity has now secured a position as an Aircraft Engineer Technician Apprentice with Boeing starting in September 2021. The experience Felicity has gained at CAHC was discussed during her interview and was seen as a great starting block for a career in aerospace.

Felicity commented: “The volunteering at the museum has given me an invaluable insight and greater appreciation of the components of an aircraft and their operation. This really helped me to decide on pursuing a career in the aviation industry. I am incredibly grateful to the team at CAHC for providing me with the unique experience of working on the military aircraft and sharing all their knowledge and experiences with me.”

Ian Watkins, one of the Directors at Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre said; “The team and I are so pleased for Felicity and wish her every success with her apprenticeship at Boeing. Our purpose is not just to provide a great day out for families, but inspire future generations of aviators and aerospace engineers, so to know one of our volunteers are developing their career is wonderful”.

Felicity plans to continue volunteering at Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre in-between her studies.