Somersfield’s Aviation Club Takes Off with Real-World Learning

This term, Somersfield’s Aviation Extra-Curricular Club has provided senior school students with an extraordinary opportunity to explore aviation from the cockpit outward. The programme is led by Heather Nicholds, a licensed FAA Commercial Pilot and Ground Instructor, and owner of Blue Sky Flights, which operates aerial sightseeing tours in Bermuda.

Each week, students travel to the LF Wade International Airport, where they engage in immersive, hands-on lessons that build both technical knowledge and practical skills. Topics have included the theory of flight and aerodynamics, aircraft controls and movements, airspace classification, reading aviation charts, weather interpretation, VFR flight planning, and critical radio communication protocols. Students also visited the Air Traffic Control tower, gaining a behind-the-scenes look at how aircraft are safely managed in Bermudian airspace.

In addition to these core lessons, students enjoyed two standout experiences: viewing a German P-3 Orion submarine hunter up close and speaking with a BermudAir engineer about the airline’s E-175 aircraft. Both experiences added a fresh perspective on the many pathways within aviation.

The club will pick back up in the New Year, when students will have the chance to try the flight simulator with Ms Nicholds.

Aviation Club Students:
Aaron Lee
Charlie Willmott
Axel Wideman
Gunner Nikolai
Rory Forrest