Cadets

You can join as a cadet if you are between the ages of 13 and 18 and are interested in aviation or the Royal Air Force. We are one of the countries largest youth organisations and made up of young adults between the ages of 13 and 21, both male and female.

The aims of the corps are:

To promote and encourage among young men and women a practical interest in aviation and the Royal Air Force.
To provide training which will be useful both in the Services and in civil life.
To foster the spirit of adventure.
To develop the qualities of leadership and good citizenship.

With these main principles forming a basis to all we do, the sylabus for a new cadet is wide ranging and should provide both physical and mental challenges throughout their time with us. The activities that you can expect to get involved in during your time in the Corps include:

On Squadron

Basic and Advanced Foot Drill
Learning Marksmanship Tecniques
Standard Bearing Practice
Model Making
Duke of Edinboroughs' Award Scheme
Learning about many various Air Force related subjects (See lessons section):

Off Squadron

D Of E Expeditions
Drill Competitions
Gliding
Powered Flying
Sport (including):
Target Shooting
Visits to RAF Stations
- Athletics
- Hockey
- Netball
- Rugby
- Soccer
- Swimming
Adventure Training (including):
- Absailing
- Canoing
- Hill Walking
- MFT (Fieldcraft)
- Orienteering
- Rock Climbing

At present the only thing you have to pay for all of this is Ł1 per week {paid quarterly}, this pays for you uniform while you are a member of the Corps, your flying, gliding and shooting. While an annual camp has to charge a one off fee to cover food and travel. Usually about 20 to 35 pounds for the seven days, depending on where you live in the country in relation to the base you are visiting.

Organisation

The Air Training Corps is an organisation which is organised around a rank structure, the same as its' parent organisation the Royal Air Force. The advantages with using this system are:

It allows all activities to be run in a safe, efficient and disciplined manner.
It advances leadership skills
It promotes a respect for authority.

The cadet rank structure is parallel to the RAF rank structure. There four ranks above the basic rank of cadet are (in ascending order):

Cadet Corporal (Cpl.)
Cadet Sergeant (Sgt.)
Cadet Flight Sergeant (F/S)
Cadet Warrant Officer (CWO)

The holders of these ranks are known as Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO's).

The number of NCO's on a squadron pre-determined by the squadron's size. However it is the Commanding Officer who decides the actual people who are to be promoted. The only exception to this is with the rank of Cadet Warrant Officer, where the Commanding Officer has to nominate one of their cadets (usually a Cadet Flight Seargent, and 18 years old or over) for promotion to Cadet Warrant Officer. The decision on their appointment is then decided after an interview by a Wing Staff Officer who tries to make sure that the person in question has all of the right qualities to fulfill the role with all the standards expected of a senior cadet and junior people manager.

Any cadet who wishes to be promoted has to go through a formal selection procedure. Following an announcement of a vacancy any cadet who applies for the post will have an interview with the Squadrons' Commanding Officer. Cadets will be questioned on their commitment to the Squadron, their motivation and motivational skills and checked about their knowledge of the Corps in general. The Commanding Officer will also consult with the rest of the members of staff to gain a general view and opinion as to how the individual comes across both on and off Squadron. Also the cadets' attendance record is reviewed to make sure that their actual commitment comes upto an acceptable standard. The Commanding Officer will then make the decision to who (if anybody) get promoted.