CALGARY -- While piloting a glider flight entirely by yourself at the tender age of 14 is an achievement of its own, a pair of Calgary brothers accomplished something even greater last Saturday.
Kaleb and Josh Bagrowicz, twin brothers and students of the Cu Nim Gliding Club, both flew solo flights on the evening of April 17.
The boys had been working towards the challenge since July 2020, and were first scheduled to take the flight on Dec. 15, 2020. However, additional COVID-19 restrictions, as well as snowy weather, forced them to postpone.
The club says Kaleb and Josh's successful flights are an exceptional achievement.
"First solos at the age of 14 are rare – twins accomplishing this goal at this age is very rare," the club wrote in a statement this week.
"Josh and Kaleb are high calibre individuals – they compete internationally in karate, vie for places on Canada's junior national swim team, are fluent in Japanese and typically only miss days of flying for math homework or other obligations."
With their first solo flights behind them, the group says the boys will continue their training with more flights and a transition from the ASK-21B primary trainer to the PW-5 single-seater glider.
According to Cu Nim, trained, proficient and tested individuals over the age of 14 are allowed to fly solo. Regulated glider pilots licences are obtained from Transport Canada at 16 years old.
The Cu Nim Gliding Club is a not-for-profit society that was established in 1951 and operates from its own airstrip located between Okotoks and Black Diamond, Alta.
