We welcomed a very special guest last week – Squadron Leader Graeme Muscat, who is part of the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows team (one of the world's premier aerobatic display teams) dropped in for a morning to tell the children about his own personal journey to becoming an aerobatic pilot. 

Graeme’s presentation had the pupils spellbound from the start. He was inspired from a young age to be a pilot and joined the air cadets at 16. He then joined the Royal Air Force in 1995 as a communications analyst, but always wanted to fly. Graeme puts his success down to being very determined and never taking no for an answer!  After first becoming aircrew, using his linguistics training in Russian and Farsi – proving to the children they can speak any language - he fulfilled his dream and was selected for pilot training in 2004. He described to the children how he flew fighter jets and was in active combat.  After fulfilling the required 1,500 flying hours, a tour of operational flying and being assessed as above average in his flying role Graeme applied to join the Red Arrows who he is still with today as Red10. When asked what the most memorable event with the Red Arrows was so far, he answered that without a doubt it was flying as part of the flypast over London for the Platinum Jubilee and the King’s Coronation. The curious children bombarded him with an array of questions ranging from how environmentally friendly the Red Arrows were to whether he was able to remove his mask to eat when flying at such speeds. 

At the end of his presentation Graeme was called upon to judge the best paper aeroplane based on how far it flew.  The children also presented tailfin designs to commemorate the 60^th anniversary of the Red Arrows which is next year.  At the end of the session the children, when asked by  Mrs Verma, what they had learnt, they answered ‘With hard work and determination they could fulfil their dreams.’