The 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School held its graduation ceremony for ten grads yesterday at Southport. Commandant Lieutenant-Colonel Marc-Antoine Fecteau outlines the event.

"Graduation day is always a special day. It's the second milestone in their career. The first one being when they join, and now they're finally qualified as pilots and looking to the future of the second part of their career as pilots in the Canadian forces. It's always a proud moment."

Brigadier-General Dave Cochrane explains where they go from here.

"It was a graduation parade for both the rotary wing courses as well as multi engine courses. There were six rotary wing graduates heading on to their operational communities to the both the Chinook and the Griffon helicopters, and I know they'll do a fantastic job domestically as well as internationally. And the four multi engine graduates. They're heading back to Seneca College for their last year in academics. And then we'll be getting them to the operational units ready to do some fixed wing support."

Capt. Marc Johnston Marc Johnston was one of the multi-engine graduates, and shares his feelings.

"Feels great. A lot of hard work , patience and sacrifice went into getting our wings. And it's been a really rewarding experience form beginning all the way to the end. From here I'm going back to school to study a program called the COTT program back in Seneca College where pilots are able to enter into the military without a degree in the pilot trade."

Johnston won the Hal Wishart Trophy. This honour goes to the graduate of the multi-engine course who best exemplifies the traits of S/L Wishart, who was part of a four man bomber brew that crash landed in Newfoundland during a severe storm. Wishart led the crew who wasn't hurt but had no survival gear. He used ingenuity and resourcefulness to stay alive for six days when they were rescued.

Mayor Irvine Ferris was present and awarded the Portage la Prairie Award to Captain Erin Edwards who displayed the highest degree of professionalism and officer-like qualities in the graduating class.

The Gos Goulding Award went to Lieutenant Esteban Simard for the overall best helicopter student.