IT'S up, up and away from now on for Teesside teenager James Hooton.

The 17-year-old, who wants to be a pilot, will soon be flying high after winning a national air cadet scholarship. With the prize comes 12 hours of flight training.

The air cadet, from Redcar, won the coveted scholarship as one of a shortlist of winners of the Royal Air Force Association's National Flying Scholarship scheme.

A student at the Prior Pursglove College, Guisborough, east Cleveland, James is a flight sergeant in the cadets. His sights are set on studying aeronautical engineering at university, before being accepted as a pilot in the RAF.

Although his ambition is to fly Hercules aircraft, his first goal is to gain his private pilot's licence.

James, a past pupil of Rye Hills secondary school, Redcar, was presented with his award by Royal Air Forces Air Member for Personnel, Air Marshal Stephen Dalton.

The teenager said: "It was amazing to win the scholarship, and to receive it from such an important member of the RAF was fantastic. It was a day I will never forget.

"Flying is the only thing I have ever wanted to do, so getting these 12 hours is a big milestone towards what I hope to achieve."