A FORMER Birchwood High School pupil who aspires to be a pilot has won a national challenge by building an app that would make life easier for RAF pilots.
Aspiring pilot Freddie Robinson was encouraged to enter the competition by a tutor at Priestley College, Warrington, where he now studies Computer Science.
He received £1,000 for winning, but admits he is more excited about the second part of the prize – a private simulator flying lesson with Squadron Leader Pete Kennedy.
“It was a wonderful opportunity college has afforded me and I am really looking forward to the simulation,” said Freddie, who hopes to one day become a pilot himself.
The challenge was set by Inversity – a company started by two veterans to train tomorrow’s technologists.
They choose real-world problems for learners to tackle, the most recent one ‘From Computer to Cockpit – how can software change how Air Forces operate?’ was set by Sqn Ldr Kennedy, a decorated RAF pilot who was born in Warrington.
Freddie’s entry saw him build a mobile app, which would help RAF pilots divert course if they needed a new landing location.
He also had to film a pitch for the app in which he demonstrated the software with the help of a flight simulator, which can be viewed here www.inversity.co/freddie
“We hope this accelerates Freddie’s journey into a great career and that many more Priestley students benefit from the scheme too,” said Dr James Kuht, co-founder of Inversity.
Representatives from British-based technology company Faculty AI were also on the judging panel and were so impressed with the Priestley student that they offered him work experience at their London HQ.
Priestley tutor Laura Phillips, who encouraged Freddie to take part, said: “It has been such a proud moment to see Freddie rewarded for what was an incredible entry in the challenge.”
