Wharfedale in Remembrance 2013

On Remembrance Sunday in 2013, 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron took part in various parades and services in the local area.

The first event took place in the town of Addingham where a church service was followed by a parade led by the Squadrons band to the memorial in the town. Here the Last Post and Reveille were played excellently by Cadet Sam Shaw. A wreath was also laid here by Cadet Warrant Officer Tom Smith on his last Remembrance day as a cadet.

Following the Addingham parade the Squadron made its way to the Abbeyfield Care Home where an excellent lunch was provided for the cadets and staff by the Squadrons Civilian Committee. At Abbeyfield the band played a few pieces of music for the residents of the care home before setting off for the Ilkley parade.

The Ilkley parade was in a slightly different format than in previous years and set off from the Town Hall to the Memorial Gardens led by the band. The Squadron were also joined for this parade by the OC Central & East Yorkshire Wing, Wing Commander Wiggins.

The service at the Ilkley Memorial gardens was host to a number of dignitaries who paid their respects and the Squadrons wreath here was laid by one of the Squadrons newest members, Cadet Isla Lury. The Last Post and Reveille were also played by Cadet Sam Shaw here. Cadet Callum Carslaw also played a Lament on the bagpipes.

Overall it was another excellent parade by the Squadron who definitely did themselves proud!

From Wing Commander Wiggins - 'Just a quick note to say thank you for your hospitality and the invitation to attend as part of your Sqn Remembrance Parade.

It is only as part of the organisation at grass routes level that you really appreciate the time and commitment by staff and cadets to support these local events and the pivotal part units play. 1224 Sqn made a significant contribution with the band and cadets on parade. Please pass on my sincere thanks to all for their willingness to be on parade. The individual cadets performing with pipes and bugle did a great job despite the cool conditions and the spectacle of the occasion.

It was a pleasure to join with you today and would request you pass on my thanks to all at 1224 for the opportunity.'

From Pat Bateman, Vicar at All Saints Church Ilkley - 'The contribution of your squadron was excellent and very much added to the Ilkley remembrance parade.'

RAF Akrotiri October 2013 Camp Report

By Sgt Karl Verspyck

I was lucky enough to be offered a place on the Autumn Camp to Akrotiri in Cyprus. I started my journey at York Station where I met the other 5 cadets from my wing. We met up with the whole 46 cadets at Heathrow for our flight out to Cyprus. We arrived at the base late at night and we were all tired so we went to bed for an early start in the morning. 

Friday: We all got ready in DPM’s for our camp photo before we set off on an exercise to familiarise ourselves with the base. RAF Akrotiri is massive, especially when you have to walk around it in the 28 degree sun! The afternoon was spent at the beach relaxing and getting to know the other cadets on the camp. We had a small history lesson in the evening on the history of the island.

Saturday: We got up early and headed to the north of the island in anticipation because of what we had learnt the night before about the conflict between the North and South of the island. When we did get across the UN Buffer zone and into the Turkish part of Cyprus we headed to a castle on a mountain for some amazing views! We then headed into a coastal town and had dinner at a restaurant by the sea.

Sunday: We had a great day in a waterpark about 2 hours away from the base. It was great fun and nice to get cooled off in the water.

Monday: We spent the morning doing command tasks which was interesting and certainly gave me some ideas to bring back to this squadron. We headed off to a local shopping centre in the afternoon before retiring to our rooms at night.

Tuesday: In the morning we headed to some of the sectors that this base has. We started at the Bomb Disposal unit which was interesting to see the kinds of things that they are dealing with on the island and also out in Afghanistan. We then went to a top secret part of the base which I’m afraid I cannot publish on here!

Wednesday: On Wednesday we travelled to the UN Buffer zone again, but this time we visited the abandoned Nicosia Airport. It was strange to see how much was still intact after over 30 years of it being unused.

Thursday: This was probably the most enjoyable day of the trip with us travelling to a local army base in Episkopi to do some shooting. We then went banana boating back in Akrotiri before we spent the evening on a cruise around Paphos bay. We had a BBQ on board and jumped off the boat in to the warm Mediterranean. A truly great way to end a great day!

Friday: This was our final day in Cyprus and we headed into the Troodos mountains to a lovely local village and then to Troodos camp for lunch. We had our last meal on the beach at Akrotiri where we had a BBQ and gave out paper plate awards.

It was great to visit such an active RAF base at the forefront of the conflicts we are involved in today. This camp has been the best thing I have done with cadets so far and I would recommend this or any other overseas camp to every single cadet. You get to meet some great people, great staff and have so much fun at the same time, doing activities you can’t do in England.

  

Air Cadet Pilot Scheme Report

by FS Partovi 

Out of around 44,000 cadets in the ATC, and many more in the CCF (RAF), only approximately 140 cadets are offered a place on the Air Cadet Pilot Scheme (ACPS) each year. So I was of course both excited and honoured to have been offered a place.

 

The cockpit of the Grob Heron

The Scholarship I had been granted allowed for me to travel to Dundee with free accommodation in a four star hotel. After the two hour train ride, I arrived at the hotel shortly after some of my cadet colleagues that I had yet to meet. I was then given my room number and a free warm cookie! My roommate and I made our way to the room, settled in and later met the rest of the five cadets on our course, and the five on the overlapping course from the week before.

 

 FS Partovi (second from the right) with the other students on the course

My first full day at Tayside Aviation -The flying club where the ACPS is held – was a good one, there was only one hour’s flying for me, however this was when I got to know the instructors and the rest of the staff who would be teaching me and the rest of the cadets. We were introduced to the club, given welcome packs and given a guided tour. During the first day I got to know two boys who were there on a Bristow Scholarship with the Air League. They were flying Warriors for hours towards their PPLs, a slightly bigger aircraft to the Grob Herons which the cadets fly.

Because Tayside Aviation is situated in Dundee Airport, the Radio Communications and procedures were a considerable step up from my Gliding Scholarship, this was on top increased air traffic. Towards the end of the course candidates took an exam, which assessed the basics of the ACPS and the aircraft we fly, such as runway markings, ATC signals and the aircraft specifications.

Luckily I achieved my solo flight just before the runways were to change because the wind, and after received my Flying Scholarship Wings.

 

This scholarship is a fantastic experience which I would love to do again. I would recommend this course to anyone.

RAF Swing Wing Concert

by Cadet Sergeant Lisa Whitaker

On Tuesday 10th September, a group of cadets suited up to attend the 4th annual concert performed by the RAF Swing Wing Band at Skipton Town Hall.

Conducted by WO Gary Stevens, they began with their signature piece of music written by their own pianist, and with a quick introduction, they started to play. They performed pieces of music written by Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey.

They also performed music from The Andrew Sisters, which included vocals by a trio of women called The Bluebells, formed of Cpl Beverly Kirk, Jnr Tech Cara Palmer and SAC Tracey Hodgetts. They entertained the audience with favourites such as ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’, ‘Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny’ and ‘Shoo Shoo Baby’.

After an hour of melodious music, we parted for a quick break of tea and biscuits before returning to our seats for another hour of the Swing Wing Band. They started up with Glenn Miller, followed by pieces getting progressively more lively and fast paced. There was even some of the audience dancing!

When it was time for them to leave, the cheering crowd brought them back for one more song and then that was the end of the concert. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the performance and we are already looking for to their future performances.

1224 Visit London

by Sgt (ATC) Sam White

Following on from a meeting with the Squadrons local Member of Parliament, Kris Hopkins MP earlier in the year, the Squadron was invited down to London on Wednesday 4th September 2013.

The day started bright and early as a party of 10 cadets and staff departed Ilkley at 0600 for London, with our first stop being RAF Northolt to leave the minibus before getting the London Underground into the city centre.

The first stop of the day was the Houses of Parliament where the cadets were given a tour round the buildings including visiting the House of Lords and the Queens Robing Room and taught about the vast history of the Palace of Westminster.

 The Cadets and Staff with Kris Hopkins MP

Following on from lunch the Squadron met with Mr Hopkins and were escorted to the Ministry of Defence where the cadets were introduced to The Rt Hon Andrew Robathan MP, The Minister of State for the Armed Forces along with Lt Col Andrew Watkins of the Royal Marines and Wing Commander James Beck RAF who has been selected to be the Commanding Officer of the first RAF F-35B Lightning II Squadron.

Following on from the MoD visit the cadets were given the shock announcement that permission had been granted for them to go to Downing Street to have their photo taken outside of No.10!

 The Cadets and Staff outside No.10.

After leaving No.10 the cadets were escorted back to the River Thames where they laid a wreath at the Battle of Britain Memorial before saying goodbye to Mr Hopkins MP.

Cadet Sergeant Jørgen Moore laying a wreath at the Battle of Britain Memorial

The cadets then went on a walk round the sights of London, visiting Horse Guards Parade, Trafalgar Square, The Mall. Buckingham Palace and Green park before laying another wreath at the Bomber Command Memorial.

 Cadet Michael Palmer laying a wreath at the Bomber Command Memorial

By this time it was starting the get late so the cadets made their way through Hyde Park before getting the Tube back to Northolt for the long journey back home.

Both the cadets and the staff had a fantastic time on the trip and without the fantastic assistance from Mr Hopkins MP and his office staff none of this would have been possible!

Ocean Youth Trust Scotland Expedition 2013

by CWO Tom Smith

On Monday the 5th of August and after a long drive up from Ilkley I arrived in Oban, on the west coast of Scotland for my second Air Cadet Offshore sailing expedition with Ocean Youth Trust Scotland.
After meeting the expedition leader, Sqn Ldr Mike Blakey, we set off to pick the rest of the team up from the station and headed for the boat.

Alba Explorer is a 72 foot BT global challenge boat that has been round the world twice! After some fish and chips from a local shop we were ready to get going.

Once back on board and after going through the safety gear, we sat down round the saloon table to look at the chart. Ian the skipper announced the aim for the trip would be to reach St Kilda - an Atlantic island roughly 158 nm out from Oban, and one of the last bits of land before you reach North America - and that we would be setting off that evening. After some short man overboard drills we headed up the Sound of Mull and into the night.
As dawn broke we were passing rough the sound of Barra with a large number of the crew down due to sea sickness. After 26 hours of non stop sailing and with an escort of at least 20 common dolphin we finally arrived in Village Bay, St Kilda.

After a day spent wondering round the island in what seemed like Mediterranean weather with azure blue seas and clear blue sunshine we set off for the Sound of Harris, sailing past the Island of Boreray and its sea stacks as the sun fell on the North Atlantic Ocean.

After a clear starry night sail and a beat to windward across The Minch we arrived in Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye after an overnight here we headed south though the small Isle round Ardnamurchan Point and down to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull.

The last day seemed to have come round far too quickly and after a morning shopping in Tobermory we set sail back down the Sound of Mull for Oban. After an eventful last night with a talent contest which included a parrot, Britney Spears and Spice Girls tribute acts and secret Santa the week was over - far too soon!

It was an amazing week with some truly remarkable people and I am looking forward to going back next year.

 

Higher and Higher

by Sgt (ATC) Scott Watson

The 16th June provided the culmination of months of hard work for a group of 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron cadets as they set out to climb the highest mountain in the world...with a slight twist.

The goal was to climb the vertical equivalent of Everest Base Camp to the summit of Mount Everest from the safety of RAF Linton-on-Ouse, using the mobile climbing tower and indoor climbing wall. This equated to a vertical height of over 3000m or just under 400 ascents of the wall!

Prior to the event cadets had been obtaining sponsorship from friends and family with the aim of collectively raising over £500 to purchase climbing equipment. This would facilitate the Squadron’s qualified climbing instructors: Sgt (ATC) Scott Watson and Sgt (ATC) Luke Dowling, delivering the National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (NICAS) syllabus to 1224 and other local squadrons. The cadets were given several training sessions before the event at our local climbing wall where many realised they had a knack for indoor climbing and were eager to develop after the event had passed.

We completed the climb in six hours with some very tired arms and proud cadets. The day was also host to North Region’s Regional Training Day and with help from the Regional Adventure Training Technical Officer, Squadron Leader Tony Staincliffe RAFVR(T) and climbing instructor in training, Cadet Warrant Officer Tom Smith, we were also able to provide climbing for cadets across the region as they waited between activities.

 Cadet Laura Pennington prepares for her climb