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Air Training Corps recruitment

Mon, 15th Feb 2010 — graham_mundy


WHAT HAS THE AIR TRAINING CORPS GOT TO
OFFER THE YOUTH OF WANTAGE?

The Air Training Corps (ATC) is a youth organisation for male and female teenagers aged from 13 to 20, formed in 1941. Although the RAF provides the cadets with their blue uniforms and much of the flying training, it is not a recruitment organisation for the armed forces. In fact, representing society today, the aims of the Air Training Corps are:
 
To promote and encourage among young people, a practical interest
 in aviation, to foster the spirit of adventure, and to give training that
will be useful in both civilian and service life.
 
Many ex-cadets go on to senior roles in commerce and industry, the services, or take responsible positions in their communities as local councillors, for example. The ATC can also boast members of the royal family, famous actors, television presenters, world-record breaking athletes and Members of Parliament as ex-cadets. Several of the RAF Aerobatics team, The Red Arrows, are ex-ATC cadets as are many serving military personnel.
 
What activities do ATC squadrons have to offer?
The ATC offers a nationally recognised qualifications: a BTEC in aviation studies, and a BTEC in Public Services, which cadets can take to future employers and which work alongside their school-work. The subjects they cover include: basic navigation; pilot navigation; propulsion; airframes; airmanship; principles of flight; first aid and radio communications. In addition, squadrons offer a wide range of sporting activities ranging from football, rugby, netball and hockey to athletics, swimming and 5-a-side football.

As for any uniformed organisation, the ATC sets itself and it's members very high standards in dress and behaviour. Drill is a vital part of encouraging team work, and both drill and discipline are important to the cadets who enjoy the team-spirit and self-confidence that they get from being part of one of the largest youth organisations on the country.

The ATC boasts about 35,000 cadets nationally. The ATC is also the largest gliding school in the world offering a range of gliding courses to its members. Cadets over 16 can apply for a Flying Scholarship where the RAF provides 20 hours of flying training, including about 5 hours solo. In addition, the ATC offers a navigation course of 10 hours flying training.
All cadets aged over 13 years will have the opportunity to fly with RAF pilots who have hundreds of hours flying experience, in RAF Tutor aircraft. Some of these are based at RAF Benson and can be seen operating most weekends.
 
Each year cadets visit working RAF stations for a week camp to experience the service's way of life. These camps are held at UK RAF stations and overseas stations in Gibraltar and Cyprus.
 A few senior cadets can be selected to represent the UK in a world-wide exchange scheme with cadets from other countries on a scheme called the International Air Cadet Exchange.
The ATC is also the country's largest operating authority of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. All cadets over 14 are eligible to take part as part of their training.
Adventure training is a big activity for many squadrons and cadets often spend weekends camping and walking in the mountains etc, with fully trained staff.

All staff on Air Cadet squadrons are volunteers, often parents of cadets or ex-cadets themselves. The RAF offers training courses to staff in some of the syllabus subjects and in adventure training. It has always been the policy of the ATC that all staff members, whether uniformed or civilian, are security and CRB checked. Uniformed members of staff also attend compulsory training courses.

1861 (Wantage) Squadron Air Training Corps is open Tuesday and Thursday evenings between 7.15 to 9.30 pm.
 
For further information about 1861 Wantage squadron please visit us at
 
1861 (Wantage) Squadron
Air Training Corps
Cadet Forces Centre
Icknield Lane
Wantage
Oxon
 
Or contact via:
Telephone (Answer machine): 01235 762079
Expires On: 
Sun, 28th Feb 2010