12-07-2025
Young cadets from Cherai school reach for skies
Kochi: In a quiet corner of Cherai, students from Ramavarma Union High School have been reaching for the skies—literally. Over the past decade, more than 50 student cadets from the school have taken part in flying aircraft as part of the
National Cadet Corps
(NCC) air wing.
Through the 3 Kerala Squadron unit of the NCC, the school has offered selected cadets the opportunity to fly Microlite Zen aircraft at the Naval Base in Kochi. Trained under the supervision of Indian Air Force (IAF) officers, each student gets around 20 minutes of guided flight time—a rare and memorable experience for teenagers.
The school's NCC air wing began in 2010 and the 3 Kerala Squadron has been active on campus since 2013.
Headmaster Sivaprasad KP said over 500 students have earned their NCC 'A' certificate through the school. "A few are shortlisted every year for the flying programme," he added.
Vigneswar KK, a student and native of Cherai, shared his excitement. "I was fortunate to be selected as part of a 10-member squad. The commander briefed us on aircraft operations and we got hands-on flying experience," he said, speaking to TOI.
