Growing up in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, Alida Soemawinata’s foray into aviation began with the rite of passage of many Australian kids, Air Force Cadets. “Both my older sisters and my older brother joined when they were in high school, so, of course, I looked forward to my 13th birthday when I could too,” she chuckles. Alida has a wonderful grin.
“Being a member of the Australian Air Force Cadets opened up a whole new world; I made lifelong friends and became a part of military life. It gave me access to many aviation experiences, including camps away on base and flights in iconic aircraft like the C-130 Hercules and HS 748.”
But helicopters won her heart when she scored a ride in an S-76 out of RAAF Base East Sale. “Strapped in, the door open, out across the water… that was incredible. A flight in a Sea King at Nowra a year later
