Choosing the winners of our first Online Photography Competition was very hard, everyone entered some amazing photos.

Eventually we were able to narrow it down to two winners and they were;

• 8-15 years Junior Cadet Grace Duffy – Bundaberg Squadron
• 16+ years Sergeant Victor Tikhanov – Berwick Squadron

The winning photo taken by Grace was of her lovely cat Potato and we recently spoke to Grace and Victor about their enjoyment of Air League and hobbies.

What inspired you to join the Air League and how old were you when you joined?

Grace: I joined the Australian Air league when I was 11. I thought it would be good because I get to go on camps and get to do other interesting things on parade nights. Plus like my mum said the uniform looked cool.

Victor: I joined the Air League in 2012 at age 9. I was inspired to join because I had an interest in Aviation and Astronomy, as I had spent a lot of my childhood watching movies and reading books about space and planes. The Australian Air League was the only organisation that really provided something for me to quell that interest, and to develop it further. Thanks to the League, I learnt so much about those things.

What is your favourite part of the Air league?

Grace: My favourite part of the Air league is our Squadron OC Ms Ballard and her teaching us badges.

Victor: My favourite part about Berwick Squadron, and generally the whole Air League, is the atmosphere. Everyone is friendly and understanding of each other, and to meet likeminded people was also a great thing, because I could finally talk about my interests and have fun doing it.

What was your fondest memory of your time in the Air League?

Grace: The night we learnt to make Paper Airplanes at Air League and fly them.

Victor: Gosh, there are too many to count!

My favourite memory is probably getting Cadet of the Year and going up for Federal Cadet of the Year. I applied to be Cadet of the Year many times before, and many times I wasn’t chosen, so when I finally got the honour of being named Cadet of the Year, I was ecstatic!

Then we had the Federal Cadet of the Year tryouts, and I loved every second of it. I had a great time with people I hardly knew, and I found the whole experience to be very fun and enjoyable. Getting to know people like the Chief Commissioner and other Federal Members was as much a delight as well as an honour. And spending the time with likeminded cadets was also fun.

Even though I didn’t get the title, I don’t harbor any disappointment, because the experience alone was totally worth it! Definitely a highlight of my time in Air League.

What is your favourite hobby?

Grace: My favourite hobby is Lego Construction and taking photos.

Victor: I have several hobbies that I like equally, but if I were to choose my top four, it would be filmmaking/photography, astronomy, reading and costume making.

I hope to develop filmmaking/photography into a career one day, and I’ve already started by making my own short films. I would also love to tie it to my other hobbies as well. In terms of astronomy, I love spending time outside, gazing at the stars and the moon.

Then there is reading. I don’t have much time to do that nowadays cause of homework and all of that, but when things quiet down, I usually grab a book or a graphic novel and just sit and relax. Costume making is a separate hobby that I’ve only recently picked up and I don’t have a lot of time to do, but it is still rewarding to put together a new costume.

So far, I’m working on some comic book characters for costuming. It’s quite fun if you haven’t tried it!

How many pets do you have and what are their names?

Grace: We currently have 4 pets, there are 2 dogs named “Ella” and “Charlie” and 2 cats named “Mia” and “Potato”. We recently lost a pet blue tongue lizard named “Fluffy-Flower”.

Victor: At the moment I only have one pet, and it is my dog, “Charlie”. He is a Red Heeler crossed with a Fox Terrier, and he is good dog. Sometimes. He can get a little rowdy around other dogs or animals, but usually he doesn’t get too far.

We used to have a Pekingese named Shalix (Pronounced Sa-Lix). He was a walking mop, but we loved him all the same.

Don’t forget to check out our next photo competition here.