A YOUNG Bradford female has spoken about the feeling of flying alone for the first time.

In December, teenager Aisha Mohammed took to the air in the Aquila A211, a single engine aircraft, up in Scotland.

She was able to do so thanks to a scholarship provided by the Royal Airforce Air Cadets.

The 19-year-old took part in the Air Cadet Pilot Scheme, consisting of 12 hours of flight training including ground school and exams, before she was cleared to fly solo out of Dundee airport.

"I was so excited to fly solo," Aisha said.

"I was shaking with excitement when my instructor left me alone in the Aquila. When I started the aircraft, I was just screaming by myself. I don’t think I stopped screaming until I landed.

"It was terrifying at first. The take off was the easiest but worst bit because you never know how much you have to pull back. If you do it too far, you might stall the plane.

"There is so much that could go wrong, you have to fully concentrate.

"Once you’re up in the air, you just forget about everything. You are sat in the cockpit thinking this is amazing."

The Girlington resident had an impressive cadet career. Beginning at the age of 17 in 2019, she was eager to gain a scholarship and go airborne.

Aisha added: "From a young age, I have always wanted to fly and had an interest in aviation.

"Every kid dreams of being an astronaut, so I thought I could do something a little more realistic.

"I thought air cadets would be crucial in that because they offer flying experiences through the ACPS scholarship.

"When I joined, it was mostly boys. It has since become more diverse. There are more females joining because they are offering more opportunities."

"In 2021, I got an email asking me if I wanted to do it. I was so excited, I told everyone in my family about it."

Last year also saw Aisha become the first ever Lord Mayor’s cadet for 44F City of Bradford. A role she will retain until September.

"It was a great honour," the first year Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Bradford said.

"It is really exciting to do duties with the Lord Mayor. We have been an organisation for 80 years. So to become the first Lord Mayor’s cadet it is a great achievement for me and the squadron."