A Bradford student is counting his luck after getting on to the first university course in the UK which teaches you to fly.

Nadeem Elahi, 19, (pictured) a former pupil at Carlton Bolling College, is one of the first intake on to the Leeds University course, a BSc in aviation technology and pilot studies.

Students get practical flying training, which counts towards their private pilot's licence, alongside traditional lectures.

And so while his fellow students were hard at work in the library or laboratory, Nadeem was clambering into the cockpit of a Piper Warrior 2 aircraft, at Leeds Flying School, next to Leeds-Bradford Airport, for an hour-long lesson.

"I've always been interested in aviation, and was looking at courses on aerospace engineering or electronics," said Nadeem, "but this course is more specifically what I wanted to do.

"The flying part is what makes it different, because it adds towards your PTL, your pilot's licence."

Nadeem found out about the course on the Leeds University website, because it wasn't in the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) list for college courses for 2003.

Course director, Professor Peter Dowd said the course was set up last year but it was too late to be included in the UCAS list of courses for students to apply.

"We didn't expect a lot of interest. However, we recruited nearly 30 students."

Already, there are 450 applications in for the 72 places starting in September 2003.

Nadeem, whose family live in the Leeds Road area and who is the eldest of seven brothers and sisters, said: "My family have been really encouraging. Eventually I would like to be a commercial airline pilot, that would be really good, but it will mean more studying."

Mark Sleigh, head of vocational studies at Carlton Bolling, said: "Nadeem was a model student. He was the highest point scorer at GCSE among the boys in his year, a good footballer and popular with other students and staff.

"We knew from Year 9 of his interest in aeroplanes and we have tried to encourage him. We're pleased he found a course that could have been tailor-made for him, and wish him all the success in the future - it gives our other students something to aspire to."

Students do some flying taster courses in their first year, and flying lessons make up 40 credits of the second year.

In addition to the pilot's licence, students also cover aviation technology, including aviation materials engineering, fluid mechanics, combustion, flight dynamics, emissions and meteorology, and benefit from the latest computer-based flight simulator.

Places on the course are limited as weather conditions and air traffic at Leeds-Bradford Airport restricts the flying time available.