A TEENAGER is on course to become one of the youngest helicopter pilots in Europe after being given lessons as a reward for doing well at school.

James Wadsworth flew solo weeks after his 16th birthday.

He should be set to take his test shortly after turning 17 – the legal age for obtaining a licence.

His efforts also led to him landing a weekend job on the ground with his flying school.

He said: “I have loved helicopters since a very young age. One of my first words was ‘helicopter’.”

James, from Lymington, has been preparing to become a pilot since the age of 14 after his parents stumped up for the training with Bliss Aviation as a reward for dedication at school. He has been been taking his aviation exams alongside his school work.

There are nine written exams alongside practical training, including navigation, air law, meteorology and operational procedures.

The training also involves passing 27 flying exercises and 10 hours of solo flying before a student can take their final flight test at the age of 17.

The solo flying is done with an instructor monitoring the student from the ground. James was able to fly solo weeks after reaching the legal age of 16.

He said the moment he was first alone in the cockpit was an “incredible and amazing feeling”.

And while learning, he has landed himself an operations job with Bliss Aviation, based at Bournemouth Airport.

Managing director Ollie Lehmann said: “James has shown such promise and enthusiasm through his course that we saw no reason not to offer him a position for a weekend operations assistant.

“James has shown as much determination and commitment to his operations role as he has to his flying training and we love having him as part of the team.”

Jim Hammett, the company’s chief flying instructor, said: “James has worked extremely hard during his course that I see no reason why James can’t achieve his goal and test as close to his 17th birthday as possible.

“James helps prove it doesn’t matter how young or old you are.”

Bliss Aviation, formerly Bournemouth Helicopters and Solent School of Flying, has been based at Bournemouth Airport for more than 20 years,

It operates three helicopters and two planes and can teach private pilots licence courses for helicopters and planes, as well as night ratings and type ratings.