ALEXANDER Heights teenager Dakota Colborne (17) has been given a flying start to achieving his dream of becoming an air force pilot.
The Year 12 student was awarded two State scholarships within two months, each giving him $3000 towards his aviation education, as well as a laptop.
Dakota said he was “overwhelmed” when told he had won the Royal Australian Air Force Association WA’s Swetman Aviation Education Fellowship, just two months after receiving the Minister for Education’s aviation scholarship.
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Having always been interested in the defence force, Dakota joined the Australian Air Force Cadets squadron based at Kingsway Sporting Complex and Morley Senior High School’s aviation program when he was in Year 7.
“I seemed to excel in both and I really enjoy it,” he said.
“I wanted to do something different and aviation gives me that.”
He said flying was a great experience but enjoyed all aspects of aviation, including the theory, and hoped to show other young people what could be achieved.
“I wanted to encourage more students to join the aviation program and inspire more cadets,” he said.
Dakota plans to join the Australian Defence Force Academy then the air force.