A world-first £12m aviation academy is to be opened today (Saturday, August 5) with a grand ceremony at Norwich Airport.
Carol Vorderman, media personality and Royal Air Force Cadets ambassador, will join Commodore Dawn McCafferty, the cadets' commandant, to officially open the new academy, aimed to train the next generation of pilots, engineers and aircraft crew.
Simon Witts, Aviation Skills Partnership chief executive, said the academy would help cement Norwich's legacy as a hub of the UK's aviation industry, which it has been a central part of since aviation's pioneering days.
He said: 'This is a world first - it's the first time that the training required for aviation has been brought together in one building.
'We class Norwich as one of the birthplaces of aviation in the UK. 100 years ago Norwich was busy building 5,000 aircraft for the First World War effort.
'The aviation industry is a viable one in Norfolk and this is a great opportunity to build on that.'
The academy will have 20 classrooms, five engineering workshops and a complete live Airbus 320 aircraft.
At its peak, 500 16 to 21-year-olds will study at the site, where 26 different courses will be offered.
READ MORE: Applications already being received at the £12.23m Aviation Academy, in Norwich
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here