Thing is with the Air Cadets are they still as air minded as say 5-10 years ago?
My last squadron certainly aren’t The new boss wanted nothing to do with them…

As an Adult Instructor in the Air Cadet movement I thnk that the young people we get throught the door are just as air minded as they always were and those who werent when they started are easily converted when placed ‘up close and personal’ with aviation. The airmindedness of Squadrons unfortunately varies from unit to unit. The Air Cadets do still have a policy of ‘Flying always takes precedent over all other activities’.

The problem is that some well-meaning soul in the MoD probably did a “risk assessment” – and came to the conclusion that flying is dangerous. Therefore they have a “duty of care” to keep Air Cadets away from aeroplanes! :diablo:

I have been in the Air Cadets for 24 years on both sides of the fence, I think the biggest problem is the government bean counters who have cut the Royal Air Force down so much, added to its operational commitments, cadets are now being deprived of the opportunity of witnessing aviation first hand as much as they did 5, 10, 15, and even 20 years ago. When I started as a cadet the whole squadron could go away on the annual summer camp with the opportunity to go on a choice of overseas camps in Germany, Gibraltar and Cyprus but now with most Royal Air Force stations now long gone and personnel on those that are left committed on overseas ops we are lucky if we get a handful away. The Air Experience Flying cadets get has also been cut over the years since it got sold off to civilian contactors. 20 odd years ago cadets got four 30-40 minute flights a year in historic aircraft ( Chipmunks) now are lucky to get two 20 min flights per year.
I think those that are genuinely intersted in aviation should get the opportunity embrace it especially in preservation movements even if it is just polishing the canopy otherwise we will lose that asset and the preserving of our aviation heritage will only be left to a handful of museums like IWM and RAFM.

Martin

I would put money on MH434 being pretty high on the list and possibly PS853too.

Martin

There is a tale that was featured on th TV series ‘Mythbusters’ about an airman who baled out over France sans chute and was about to land in a railway station and apparently survived after a bomb went off and the shockwave slowed him down threw him clear. The tests on the show were unable to prove the story true.

Martin

IIRC there is one at the BBMF Visitors Centre and one outside The 617 HQ at RAF Lossiemouth.

Martin

Nice photos. Interesting comment on one of the bits of paper about 74,004 rivets being replaced.

yes excellent photos. I thought the rivet replacement comment was interesting too. Why a ‘Cat 3 repair’ was she pranged at some point or was it just a serious case of ‘Irish Woodworm’:D Just curious.

Martin

i can remember years ago at a airshow watching a video in a tent all about RAF Buccaneer operations, it must have been a original RAF film because i have never heard of it since, from what i can remember it was very interesting, are these films available for the public to buy i wonder..

I have a copy on video that I liberated from my old Air Cadet Squadron. IIRC it was 8 Sqn Flying down to Gibraltar then taking part in an exercise. The soundtrack was Vangelis’ ‘To The Unkown Man’ from the album ‘Spiral’

Martin