A BARTENDER who set his sights on becoming an air cadet has seen his dreams come true, as he will soon pilot one of the hardest helicopters to fly.

Kai Yardley started his working life as a pot washer and then a bartender at the Outside Inn in Evesham.

Fast forward two years, and he is now closing in on his dream of flying a Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter in the army just like his grandfather did.

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Instead of washing pots and pulling pints, his day-to-day role now involves ensuring the seamless operation of an air assault squadron.

The 20-year-old has recently been deployed to Estonia on Exercise Spring Storm and said he enjoys Army life and experiencing other countries, including France and Norway.

Evesham Journal: Mr Yardley at work.Mr Yardley at work. (Image: Crown Copyright 2023)

Mr Yardley said: “I worked there for about a year and a half, started as a pot washer, then turned 18, got behind the bar and really enjoyed it.

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"It was good fun, but I’ve always wanted to be a soldier and a pilot in an attack helicopter. That was my dream.

“My grandad was in the RAF, so I’ve always had a passion for aircraft, and his stories got me interested.

"I see the Apaches in movies and think, I want a piece of that.”

Evesham Journal: An Apache attack helicopter. An Apache attack helicopter. (Image: Crown Copyright 2023)

Mr Yardley has now submitted his application to fly Apaches and hopes to achieve this in the next few years.

Before moving to Droitwich, he had previously lived in Evesham, studying at Prince Henry’s Sixth Form.

Evesham Journal: Mr Yardley is following in his grandfather's footsteps. Mr Yardley is following in his grandfather's footsteps. (Image: Crown Copyright 2023)

Mr Yardley said one of his personal highlights was seeing the Northern Lights while on an exercise in Norway - a deployment that also presented his biggest challenge.

“We were up in the Arctic circle, in -20C temperatures, spending five days in the field learning how to survive," he said.

"We were left to our own devices for the final 18 hours.

"It was a group of about 25 people on the course, and the camaraderie really helped us get through it.”