Activities and Opportunities
The ATC has a wide range of activities on offer for Cadets to take advantage of. We are only limited by funds, suitably qualified subject instructors, and the enthusiam of the cadets to undertake the activity. We are sponsored by the Royal Air Force to provide challenging aviation, adventurous and community activities.
Each year we provide over 100,000 powered flights for Cadets, as well as training over 30,000 Cadets in Rifle Marksmanship. Other activities including Gliding, various levels of individual and team sports, numerous types of adventerous training like abseiling, fieldcraft skills, kayaking, hill walking . . . the list is endless.
We also offer young people the chance to enhance their CVs by taking BTEC course, for free! See our BTEC page for more info!
See the categories below to learn more about what we get up to!
Flying
As an Air Cadet, you will receive the opportunity to fly in the RAF's basic trainer, the Grob Tutor. Under the guidance and supervision of a trained pilot, you will be able to control the aircraft yourself and even perform your own aerobatic manoeuvres. Flying takes place at the many Air Experience Flying schools across the UK, and each Air Cadet will have at least one flight each year.
Flying Scholarship Scheme
The ATC provides training to help applicants to the RAF Flying Scholarship Scheme. The scheme awards 20 hours dual and 5 hours solo flying at your nearest civil flying school for free. Completion will see you awarded your flying scholarship badge. After that you are able to continue your instruction towards a PPL (Private Pilots Licence) at your own cost.
Gliding
Gliding is yet another opportunity for you to develop your flying skills. Gliding is similar to powered flight except that a glider does not use an engine but thermals, pockets of rising air, to keep it in the air. The two most common types of Glider are the Viking and the Vigilant. They are flown from VGS (Volunteer Gliding Schools) across the country.
Gliding Scholarship (GS)
Gliding Scholarship courses are an opportunity for cadets to undergo further training and achieve Gliding Scholarship Wings. A course consists of up to 40 launches in a Viking or 8 hours in a Vigilant to achieve GS wings. Cadets showing the necessary aptitude are invited to progress to 'solo' standard and hopefully achieve the GS Solo Wings.
If you want to be nominated for a Gliding Scholarship, let your Squadron or Unit staff know. Ideally you should have completed a GIC 1, 2 or 3, but it is not mandatory. You must be 16 years of age when you start the course and you will need a medical form (RAF Form 6424), which is available upon request from your staff. Take this form to your local doctor and ask them to complete it (you must retain the form because you will have to present it to the VGS on commencement of a GS Course). Once completed the Form is valid for 2 years, as long as nothing medically untoward happens to you. After you have completed the medical (no examination required – it is completed by reference to your medical notes), and your doctor has signed the form to confirm that you are fit to undergo glider pilot training, you are ready for a course.
It is then a matter of a course becoming available. Courses are available in two formats, either over successive weekends until you have completed the course or a continuous week-long course (usually in the summer, however they are held all year round at the Air Cadet Central Gliding School at RAF Syerston). You must have the commitment to attend a GS course, as it can be difficult to predict the exact time it will take to complete as it depends on your own progress and the weather. In the Summer, a course will typically take 3 weekends to complete.
Successful completion of the course will entitle you to wear the Blue GS Wings. You will have done well to get this far. For cadets showing the required aptitude, there may be the opportunity to progress further and possibly reach the solo standard. Should you manage this and successfully complete a solo circuit you will be entitled to wear the Silver GS Wings.
Shooting
Cadets at all levels of the Air Training Corps have the opportunity to participate in the sport of rifle shooting. Since the ATC was originally a recruiting organisation for the Royal Air Force, it made good sense for marksmanship to be on the training syllabus. Shooting remains one of the most popular cadet activities.
A range is a location designed so that people can take part in shooting under controlled conditions and ranges come in many shapes and sizes. Initially, shooting takes place with the target 25m from the firer, either on a 25m indoor range or a 25m barrack (outdoor) range. As the firer advances through the weapons they will start to shoot at ranges of 100m or more.
Safety is paramount with all ATC activities and shooting is certainly no exception. Training is an integral part of the system and each cadet is fully trained in whichever rifle they will be using. Supervising staff are similarly trained to deal with any eventualities and to ensure that the range is run safely and efficiently. All rifles are fired from the prone position (the firer is lying on their stomach) at static, targets
Sport
Cadets can participate in a huge number of different sports, at Squadron and Wing levels, including athletics, five-a-side football, netball, rugby, volleyball, cross country, swimming and many more.
Those Cadets who excell at Squadron and Wing levels can go forward to represent their Region. Should they be successful at the Regional competition, they may then have the chance to represent the Corp against the CCF, ACF and SCF.
Squadron and Wing level sports tend to be played more for local pride and fun rather than being truly competitive; it does not matter if your not designed to be the next Olympic star. The opportunities are there for you to enjoy yourself!
Adventure Training
The purpose of Adventure Training in the ATC is to encourage and foster the development of character, leadership, initiative and physical qualities among cadets.
We offer loads of activities to reach these aims, such as hill walking, night exercises, initative exercises, canoeing, sailing, rock climbing, caving, skiing, camping . . .
Annual Camps
The ATC runs numerous Annual camps each year, run on RAF Stations so that cadets may get a taste of service life. Annual camps are organised at Wing level with place for all squadrons, so that every cadet who wishes to take part and who has achieved at least the First Class qualification may attend.
Cadets usually stay in RAF barrack blocks and eat in the station's mess facilities. The itinerary is always packed with typical ATC activities such as Air Experience Flying, shooting, adventure training and, of course, drill. Cadets will also have the opportunity to visit various sections of the station and meet the people who work there.