It was high flight time in the Olds area for Canadian comedic icon Rick Mercer.On Aug. 26, the nationally renowned television star of the Rick Mercer Report joined 15 air cadets from the 185 Olds Squadron, along with six others from the 903 Strathmore Squadron, for a blast of the past in the sky - thousands of feet above the Netook Gliding Centre.Mercer is a former cadet himself. Twice he took flight in a glider with an 18-year-old cadet pilot from Edmonton that lasted 10 minutes.“He enjoyed it immensely. I would say he was about 3,000 feet in the air,” said Stan Monkman, director of public relations for the provincial committee of the Air Cadet League of Canada (ACLC). “He was astounded by the age of the pilot.”Mercer and his CBC film crew were at the centre for about seven hours shooting a segment for an upcoming episode of the Rick Mercer Report. The episode is scheduled for broadcast in late September.The ACLC invited Mercer to attend the annual Air Cadet League VIP Gliding Day. He spent a fun-filled and busy day joking and speaking with cadets, ACLC members and visitors.Mercer then received ‘air time' in a Schweitzer glider specially fitted with cameras to record the event. During the day he interviewed cadets from both the Olds and Strathmore cadet squadrons.Due to organizational and logistical reasons for the filming the media was not invited to attend, said Monkman. Mercer could not be reached for comment last week as he was engaged in further filming in B.C.“He is too busy shooting to do this now. He will be happy to talk to you when we have an airdate for the item we did there,” said David McCaughna, publicist for the Rick Mercer Report.Nevertheless, the experience of meeting Mercer and watching him take flight in the skies was an exhilarating experience for the cadets.“It was a great opportunity to have our cadets meet a former cadet (Mercer) who has gone on to be such a success,” said Capt. Joy Cavin, an officer with the 185 Olds Squadron. “This (event) was a practical demonstration of the leadership skills that are taught in this program. One of the many exciting opportunities available through the program is that you never know who you are going to meet.”
