Called LIFT Youth Development Inc and held at the royal Newcastle Aero Club, the Hunter-based charity works with at-risk youths and their support networks to change their lives.

“Our program helps kids aged from 16 to 22 and we interact with various agencies such as the Salvos,” LIFT acting operations officer Darren Gough said.

“We have some youngsters sent to us by Juvenile Justice and some who have dropped out of school.

“When kids come into our program, they get taught the principles of flying and they learn how to manage risks.

“We have kids flying a plane on their very first day here, flying with trained instructors who are very experienced.

“The youngsters control the steering column and the instructor controls the throttle and pedals.

“On their second day in a plane, kids can be taking off.

“We have youngsters with low self esteem who were never expected to achieve anything and they get to fly a $200,000 aircraft.”

Mr Gough said he had seen such experiences change kids’ lives.

“It is a very powerful program which teaches youngsters how to control their fears in a relationship of trust with their instructors,” he said.

Eight keen kids will be hard at work at Luskintyre helping to keep aircraft flying in the Great Tiger Moth Air Race to Camden Airport on Saturday and Sunday, October 4 and 5 – six in the canteen and two moving planes.

“All the money we raise go towards working with kids,” Mr Gough said.