Wharfedale Air Cadets Celebrate Night of Success

On the evening of St Patrick's Day 2017, 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets once again gathered at the King's Hall in Ilkley for their Annual Dinner & Presentation evening, where the squadron gathers in a formal setting to present awards to members of the Squadron for their achievements during the year.

The Squadron was joined by guests and friends from across the organisation, including this years Guest of Honour, Air Commodore Ian Stewart.

Presentations were made to cadets who have recently passed exams on the Squadron in aviation related subjects, as well as First Aid certificates.

Attendance Trophy – Cadet Aiden Holmes

The Warrant Officers Trophy and the Warrant Officers Cup for the cadet and NCO each earning the highest points for consistently having best turnout over the last year were presented to Cadet Peter Monaghan and Sergeant Ryan Griffin respectively

West Riding Wing Cup for Sport – Flight Sergeant Max Franks

Flight Sergeant Franks Collecting the West Riding Cup for Sport

The Inter-Flight Competition Trophy (first awarded in 1941) was collected by  Sergeant Ellie Cooper on behalf of No. 1 Flight.

The Chaplains Award for Community Service was won by Cadet Matt Cryer

Percussionist of the Year – Sergeant Skye Donoghue

Musician of the Year – Sergeant Ellie Cooper

Best New Cadet – Cadet Matt Cryer

Tesco Trophy for Best Intermediate Cadet – Cadet Ryan Thatcher

Millennium Trophy for Best Senior Cadet – Sergeant Ryan Griffin

The David Stead Memorial Trophy for Cadet Of The Year, presented in memory of Flight Lieutenant David Stead, a former cadet of 1224 who was sadly killed, along with his crew, when the C-130 Hercules he was piloting was shot down over Iraq in January 2005 was won by Sergeant Ellie Cooper.

Flight Sergeant Skye Donogue with her Certificate of Good Service

Cadet Peter Monaghan won the Commanding Officers Cup for his dedication, enthusiasm and for his own personal development over the last year.

Cadet Lewis Hunter won the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) Airedale & Wharfedale Salver, awarded to the cadet who collects the highest amount for RAFA over the year

 The Squadron was also presented with awards for being the highest collecting ATC unit in both the Yorkshire and Northern areas.

Warrant Officer (ATC) David Wood was also presented with an award for being the highest collecting Adult volunteer in the area.

In addition, Warrant Officer Wood was presented with his Air Officer Commanding 22 Group's Commendation, awarded in last years' Queens' Birthday Honours List. 

There were also several promotions for the cadets, they were:

To Corporal: Matt Cryer, Peter Monaghan, Elliot Thompson & Pearce Todd

To Sergeant: Charlie Franks

To Flight Sergeant: Ellie Cooper, Skye Donoghue and Ryan Griffin

In Addition, FS Donoghue was presented with a Commandants Certificate of Good Service, for her work in particular with music in the Air Cadets.

There was also musical entertainment during the night, including the Squadron's percussion section playing Highland Cathedral with Cadets James and John Brown from 264 (Skipton) Squadron, as well as a finale from the Squadron's newly formed rock ensemble, who played hits such as Mr Blue Sky and The Proclaimers' 500 Miles.

The Squadron Percussion Section

All in all it was another fantastic evening, with all award winners and promoted cadets thoroughly having earnt their achievements. 

Air Cadet 75th Anniversary Extravaganza

Cadets and Staff from 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron were recently involved in the impressive Air Cadets 75th Anniversary event at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell.

 

The event, taking place to mark 75 years since the Air Training Corps was formed during the Second World War, took place at the College Hall Officers Mess, and involved drill displays and musical entertainment, as well as flypasts from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and the Red Arrows!

1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron took part in several aspects of the event. Cadet Sergeants Ellie Cooper and Skye Donoghue had been part of a Drill & Ceremonial camp the week leading up to the event and displayed their skills with an impressive rifle drill display. Cadet Flight Sergeant Bailey Ryan and Max Franks were part of the Air Cadet Organisation National Marching Band, whose mesmerising performance was applauded by guests that included the new Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier and Group Captain Carol Vorderman, honorary ambassador for the Air Cadet Organisation.

Staff from 1224 also assisted with the National Concert Band camp in the week leading up to the event.

The evening ended with a spectacular fireworks display taking display over the College Hall Officers Mess.

Wharfedale Air Cadet complete Gruelling Dutch March

An Ilkley Air Cadet has completed the challenging Nijmegen Marches in Holland.

Cadet Sergeant Ryan Griffin took part in the event, in which participants must walk 100 miles over four days through the Dutch countryside, as part of the Central and East Yorkshire Wing team, one of many military teams taking part from across the world!

The Nijmegen Marches is one of the most prestigious events that Air Cadets can take part in, marching alongside teams from countries as far away as Canada, the USA and even Australia!

This year was made even more special by the fact that the event was celebrating its 100th Anniversary.

On completing the marches, and being awarded his medal for completing the event for a second time, Sgt Griffin said it was "The hardest challenge I've had in cadets to date but the greatest part is the crowds there to cheer you on".

IACE: Canada 2015 report

 by CWO Karl Verspyck

A place on The International Air Cadet Exchange was my aiming point in cadets for the last 5 years. This was because of the amazing places in the world you could visit and also because of the prestige that goes with representing your country and the corps internationally. I was lucky enough to win a place on this year’s trip to Alberta, Canada and it’s fair to say I was ecstatic when I found out. 

The build up to the trip was exciting as we slowly found more and more people, through the world of Facebook, that were going on the trip with us. Be that UK cadets or international. It soon became apparent that the UK contingent of 24 was going to be the largest on the trip, with countries like New Zealand sending only two cadets. This large allocation was due to the history of IACE and the fact that the first ever exchange was between the UK and Canada so to honour this tradition these two countries exchange the most cadets. I met the UK cadets at Heathrow where we received our ID and name badges and got on our way to Schiphol. Here we met the Dutch contingent who was flying out to Edmonton with us. This was brilliant because we had nearly 10 hours to get to know them!

Whilst in Edmonton we stayed at Edmonton garrison which was an army base just outside the city itself. We stayed here for 3 nights and toured the Alberta legislature building, went to fort Edmonton to learn about the Hudson Bay Company. We spent a day at 4 Wing Cold Lake which was brilliant and very active with it being the largest and busiest air base in Canada! On the Friday we spent the day at West Edmonton Mall which is absolutely huge and included a theme park. I spent the first weekend with a host family and mine was a lovely woman named Helen. She took me and two other cadets, from France and Turkey respectfully, to her cabin on a lake. It was beautiful and we spent the weekend relaxing and out on the water in their boat. Helen couldn't do enough for us and I really felt at home there it was brilliant! On Monday we started with a familiarisation flight in a griffon helicopter over the city of Edmonton and then on the return leg some tactical flying between the trees. It's fair to say it was exhilarating!

We then started our "road trip" down to the south of the province. We stayed in a hotel for two nights in Canmore in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies where we travelled to see the Athabasca glacier which was a surreal experience in the middle of summer. We also went to Lake Louise and we managed to go canoeing on the lake which was absolutely breath-taking. We had some free time in Banff before we headed in the road again to Pincher Creek, south of Calgary. It was here that we were based to go to Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump and learn about how First Nation Canadians used the lie of the land to hunt, you guessed it, buffalo. We also went to Lake Waterton right at the bottom of Alberta and Canada for that matter. This beautiful lake was where we were all lucky enough to see a bear which was on all our lists of things to see in Canada. An evening cruise on the lake took us into the U.S. For about half an hour where we landed on a beach on Montana, the first taste of America for many and much to the delight of the American contingent who could "smell the freedom". The next day we visited Frank Slide, the sight of a massive landslide which buried a whole village in 90 seconds with most of the rock still immovable to this day.

 

Then it was time to meet our second host families who were based around Calgary. We were all told how different Calgary was to Edmonton and boy were they right. I stayed on a farm with a Turkish girl and two British girls where we were treated to a trip to the rodeo which was incredible and fit all the stereotypes hilariously. Alanna, our host mum, again couldn't do enough for us and we had great fun driving in her truck down disused rail tracks. 

 

The final two days of the trip were in Calgary touring the bomber command museum which was emotional and also brilliant to see one of the four remaining running Lancaster bombers in the world. We then had a formal farewell dinner at a local legion branch. I must say a massive thank you to the legion for hosting us for dinner in many areas of Alberta. In the final dinner we were made honorary Calgarians and presented with our white Stetson hats. A pizza party back at the hotel followed which gave us chance to exchange polo’s and other gifts we had brought from our home countries. Then it was time to say goodbye to people that we had come so close to over the previous 16 days. It's fair to say that those goodbyes were the hardest I've ever had to say, in particular to the kiwis which occurred through the glass at Calgary airport, mainly due to the huge distances between us all and the fact we may never see each other again. We are all certain that will not be the case though! A muted trip back to London finished the trip off with time for reflection in what was a whirlwind trip full of highs and very little lows. 

As I said IACE was a big aiming point for me and it certainly didn't disappoint. It was by far the best thing I've done in cadets and I'd like to thank the staff at Sqn, wing, region and at corps for allowing me to go on such a monumental trip. I would advise every single cadet to work hard to be able to apply for this trip because it truly was a once in a lifetime journey in which I have shared with amazing people from all around the world.

Wharfedale Air Cadet Named Best Sportsman in Area

An Air Cadet from 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron, Air Training Corps, based in Ilkley, has been named the best Male Sporting Cadet in Central & East Yorkshire Wing.

Sergeant Max Franks, of Burley-in-Wharfedale was presented with the trophy by Wing Commander Wiggins, Officer Commanding of Central & East Yorkshire Wing at the Wings Training Day, held recently at RAF Linton-on-Ouse. The wing contains 29 units including 1224 Squadron and nearly 1000 other cadets.

Sergeant Franks has taken an active part in many of the sports offered by the Air Cadet Organisation, most notably in rugby where he was named captain of the Wing team.

Wing Commander Wiggins presenting Sergeant Max Franks with the trophy

Wharfedale Air Cadet Completes Aerospace Instructors Course

 by Cadet Warrant Officer Callum Parker 

The Air Cadet Qualified Aerospace Instructor Course is a demanding yet rewarding course for senior cadets. Consisting of a selection weekend, six training weekends and a week-long assessment and graduation week, the course requires a huge amount of dedication and commitment.

With an extensive list of subjects the course delivered learning through a range of topics: Air Power, Aerodynamics, Flight Simulation, Air Traffic Control Simulation, Pilot Studies, Leadership and Teamwork as well as Instructional Technique. The vast knowledge in aerospace disciplines was assessed through multiple exams, a 1500 word essay and a challenging 40-minute presentation.

CWO Parker started his Qualified Aerospace Instructors Course journey by making a paper application in the spring of 2014. Having already achieved the status of ‘Instructor Cadet’ and amassing lots of practical flying experience this was the next logical step. After passing the paper application he then had to attend a selection weekend at RAF Linton-on-Ouse at the beginning of September. The selection weekend tested the cadets’ RAF knowledge, flying and air traffic control aptitude, debating ability, leadership ability and presentation skills before whittling the shortlist from 30 applicants to 20. After being successfully selected, the real work was about to begin, CWO Parker started Qualified Aerospace Instructors Course 7 in the last weekend of September.

During the training weekends, CWO Parker was required to learn about all areas of aerospace and perform to the required standard in order to progress. A poor performance would result in a student being put on ‘review’, if improvement was not made thereafter, the cadet would be required to leave the course. As part of the assessment process, CWO Parker had to complete a 1500 word essay on Air Power in which he chose to focus on Air Mobility. Another huge part of the course was the 40-minute Air Power Presentation which was to be delivered to VIPs during Graduation Week. The presentation was to be made and delivered by each syndicate which consisted of four people; CWO Parker’s syndicate had the topic of ‘Precision Guided Munitions’.

      

Finally, after seven months of hard work, the course culminated with the Graduation Week at RAF Linton-on-Ouse where the course was held. Starting on Friday 27^th March, Graduation Week began with a weekend of assessments. Providing the cadets passed this they were able to go on visits as a reward. The course visited the Air Traffic Control tower and flight simulators of 72 Squadron at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in addition to touring the fast-jets of 100 Squadron and 90 Signals Unit at RAF Leeming to see the subjects they had covered in a practical environment. After the visits each syndicate delivered their 40-minute presentation to an audience comprising of senior military commanders along with industry executives. Following the last presentation the cadets were presented with their certificates and Qualified Aerospace Instructor badges before getting ready for a grandiose graduation dinner held at RAF Linton-on-Ouse’s Officer’s Mess.
On the final morning of Graduation Week the cadets were individually debriefed on their performance and presented with the coveted blue lanyard which signified them as an Air Cadet Qualified Aerospace Instructor. CWO Parker passed the course and is the first person from 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron to have achieved this.

           

           

Ilkley Air Cadets Celebrate in Style

by Sergeant (ATC) Sam White

On Sunday 15th March 2015 (74 years and one day after the Squadron's first ever parade), 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron celebrated its Annual Dinner and Presentation Afternoon at the Kings Hall in Ilkley.

The afternoon was a chance to celebrate the successes of the Squadron and reward the cadets for their hard work.

Among the guests this year were The Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Mike Gibbons and the Lady Mayoress, Lady M Sharp, Former Commandant Air Cadets, Air Commodore Ian & Mrs Rosemary Stewart and Officer Commanding Central & East Yorkshire, Wing Commander Steve Wiggins.

The afternoon started rather alarmingly - as the hall had to be evacuated due to a fire alarm.

Grace was said by the recently appointed Chaplain to the Squadron, Reverend Steve Proudlove, and the lunch that followed was extremely good.

The first presentations of the night were the certificated earned by the cadets over the past year, these included Classification Certificates, First Aid Certificates and Health & Safety Entry Level Awards, amongst others.

After the certificates were presented it was time for the awards, the winners are as follows:

Attendance Trophy – Sergeant Bailey Ryan

The Warrant Officers Trophy and the Warrant Officers Cup for the cadet and NCO each earning the highest points for consistently having best turnout over the last year were presented to Cadet Ryan  Griffin and Sergeant Omar Shah respectively

The White Rose Trophy for most promising new marksman – Cadet Alix Tennant

West Riding Wing Cup for Sport – Corporal Max Franks

The Inter-Flight Competition Trophy (first awarded in 1941) was collected by Flight Sergeant Jørgen Moore on behalf of A Flight.

 

FS Moore and CWO Cavaliere being presented with the Flight Trophy by The Lord Mayor

 

The Ian (Charlie) Clarke Memorial Trophy for Community Service, named in memory of a young Airman who was killed in a road accident in Addingham in 1991 was won by Cadet Aiden Holmes

Percussionist of the Year – Cadet Mike Palmer

Musician of the Year – Flight Sergeant Jørgen Moore

Best New Cadet – Cadet Ellie Cooper

Tesco Trophy for Best Intermediate Cadet – Cadet Mike Palmer

Millennium Trophy for Best Senior Cadet – Corporal Tom Kraft

The David Stead Memorial Trophy for Cadet Of The Year, presented in memory of Flight Lieutenant David Stead, a former cadet of 1224 who was sadly killed, along with his crew, when the C-130 Hercules he was piloting was shot down over Iraq in January 2005 was won by Sergeant Bailey Ryan.

Corporal Joe Martin won the Commanding Officers Cup for his dedication and leadership and for his own personal development over the last year.

Cadet Pearce Todd won the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) Airedale & Wharfedale Salver, awarded to the cadet who collects the highest amount for RAFA over the year

The Squadron was also presented with awards for being the highest collecting ATC unit in both the Yorkshire and Northern areas.

Warrant Officer (ATC) David Wood was also presented with an award for being the highest collecting Adult volunteer in the area.

 

Corporal Joe Martin collecting the Commanding Officers Cup from Wing Commander Wiggins

 

There were also various promotions made during the evening, they were:

 

To Corporal: Ellie Cooper, Charlie Franks, Ryan Griffin and Mike Palmer

To Sergeant: Max Franks and Joe Martin

To Flight Sergeant: Tom Hepworth

During the evening, the band also played a number of excellent sets featuring music such as The Air Cadets, the theme from Family Guy, a medley from Frozen, I Am The Doctor (from Doctor Who), My Heart Will Go On and Fantasy on an Irish Air (amongst other pieces).

 

 

 

In addition to the musicians from 1224 Squadron, there were a number of 'guest' musicians performing with the band, these included cadets from other local Squadrons as well as Cadet Izaak Stanley from 2442 (Westbury-on-Trym) Squadron and Flight Sergeant Ross Ewing from 1743 (Crieff) Squadron - both who along with Flight Sergeant Jørgen Moore and Sergeant (ATC) Sam White are members of the Corps Ceilidh Band - who played an impromptu set following the formal conclusion of the presentations.

Overall the night was a huge success and the guests were extremely impressed with the standard of the cadets, and in particular the band.

You can watch the bands performances on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC67X6ZZgWMib2huCYlkXLXw

Ilkley Air Cadets Learn AED Skills

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 By Cadet Flight Sergeant Tom Hepworth

On Thursday 26^th of February 2015, 1224 (Wharfedale) Sqn was visited by volunteers from St. Johns Ambulance service, to teach the cadets how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), an important aspect of first aid training.

An AED is a portable device that checks the heart rhythm and can send an electric shock to the heart to try to restore a normal rhythm. AEDs are used to treat sudden cardiac arrest, a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating, which makes it an invaluable skill for cadets to learn!

The St Johns team brought along some ‘dummy’ AEDs, which give the same experience that you would receive from a real one, without the powerful electric shock used to restart the heart! With these, the cadets all got to have a go at practising with the equipment and performing in a simulated casualty situation.

Cadet Corporal, Charlie Franks said “It was really useful experience in case we are ever in that kind of a situation. The instructors understood that it would be stressful and so taught us how to use the equipment, I was really surprised at how easy it was!”

First Aid training is just one of the activities within the Air Cadets, for more information visit www.ilkley-atc.co.uk

Cadets Become Young Life Savers

On the weekend of the 7^th March 2015, 12 cadets from 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron and 2431 (Keighley) Squadron took part in a St. Johns Ambulance Youth First Aid Course at 1224 Squadron’s HQ in Ilkley.

Organised and run by Officer Cadet Kjersti Moore, the cadets were taught a number of First Aid Techniques, including how to deal with both conscious and unconscious casualties, how to recognise and treat various injuries and how to perform CPR.

 

Following assessment on the Sunday, the cadets were happy to know that they had all passed the course, receiving the red ‘Youth First Aid’ badge.

Sergeant (ATC) Sam White, who assessed some of the cadets on the Sunday, said ‘It’s great to see so many young people willing to learn these skills, which could, in the future, help save lives’.

Wharfedale Cadets Learn Methods of Instruction

On Saturday 28^th February 2015, nine cadets from 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron attended a Cadet Method of Instruction Course at the Squadron HQ in Ilkley.

Instructed by Officer Cadets Kjersti Moore and Tom Smith and Sergeant (ATC) Sam White, the cadets were taught a number of subjects including the Qualities of an Instructor, Lesson Structures, Lesson Planning and Delivery of Lessons.

The course is a pre-requisite to the ‘Instructor Cadet’ Classification, which when completed allows the cadet to undertake instructional duties on Squadron, it also entitles the cadet to wear the yellow lanyard.

Following completion of the course, cadets must then complete an assessed lesson before they become an ‘Instructor Cadet’.

Sergeant Tom Hepworth said ‘I really enjoyed the course and learnt so much! There's a lot more to being an instructor than I thought before the course. I would definitely recommend it to other cadets’.

 The nine cadets that completed the course.

Wharfedale Air Cadets Remember the Fallen

by Sergeant (ATC) Sam White

Sunday 9th November 2014 marked the date of one of the most important events in 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron's calendar - Remembrance Day.

The Squadron took part in a number of parades and events in the area, in the morning the Squadron's band led the Remembrance parade in Addingham, which had been preceded by a church service with the 2 minutes silence occurring at 11am. Cadet Ethan Holdsworth laid a wreath on behalf of the Squadron here.
Whilst this was happening a small team were also present in Burley-in-Wharfedale along with Sector 5 Commander, Sqn Ldr J Hitchen RAFVR(T) to attend a short service there.

As with previous years, the Squadrons Civilian Committee prepared an excellent lunch for the Cadets at Abbeyfield Care Home in Ilkley where the band later played a selection of marches for the residents.

Following lunch, the cadets assembled behind the Town Hall in Ilkley for the main parade of the day, with the Squadron parading a large amount of cadets.
Led into the Memorial Gardens by the Squadron's band, the parade contained a number of local civic dignitaries including Kris Hopkins, Ilkley's local MP.
The Squadron's band played the hymns for the service during which Cadets went round collecting for the Royal British Legion, Cadet Courtney Heyworth layed the wreath here.

Overall the day went very well, even though there were a large number of new cadets for whom this was their first major parade. Both wreath bearers also deserve praise for their excellent performances.

Included amongst the new cadets was Cadet William White, the youngest member of the Squadron at the age of 12 years and 3 months, and the younger brother of Squadron Adjutant Sergeant (ATC) Sam White.

Wharfedale Cadets Become Young Life Savers

 Eight Cadets from 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron, Air Training Corps have completed the St. Johns Ambulance Youth First Aid course and been awarded their red first aid badges.

Sergeant Tom Hepworth, Corporals Daniel Chivers, Hannah Mayfield, Omar Shah and Sam Shaw and Cadets Beth Doherty, Aiden Holmes and Pearce Todd gained their first aid courses after completing the course run by Civilian Instructor Kjersti Moore.

During the course the cadets were instructed and assessed on various valuable lifesaving skills including CPR, primary surveying, secondary surveying, the recovery position and how to treat bleeding, choking and shock. 

Following successfully passing the course, Sgt Hepworth said 'I really enjoyed completing the first aid course and I learned lots of important life skills along the way!'

First Aid is just one of the many activities run by 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron, for more information visit www.ilkley-atc.co.uk

International Air Cadet Exchange USA 2014 Report

 By CWO Callum Parker 

                  This year I was very fortunate to be awarded a place on the International Air Cadet Exchange to the USA. I found out which state I was going to roughly a month in advance, and it was Florida! Needless to say I was ecstatic with this news. 

                  In the build up to the exchange I had to procure items and gifts that could be swapped and presented in order to be an able ambassador, this was an ongoing thing and in the end I had a few kilos worth of goodies ready to take with me. 

CWO Parker with the rest of the Florida IACE Contingent

                  The Exchange began with a briefing at Brunel University in London. I travelled there on Monday 21st July and met all the other UK IACE participants that would be visiting countries across the globe. The next day everyone would depart for their exchange countries and I, along with 12 cadets and two staff, would travel to Washington DC.

                  We arrived in the US and were transported to the Hilton hotel were we would stay until we left for our host wing. During our stay in DC we toured the Pentagon, visited Arlington National Cemetery, had a look around the National Air and Space museum as well as sightseeing various memorials and the White House.

CWO Parker at the Lincoln Memorial

                  On Friday the 25th July, all the visiting cadets flew to their host wing, so I and another CWO from Cambridge departed with two Belgian cadets and our Belgian staff escort. We arrived at Pensacola International Airport around noon and were greeted by one of our host cadets and a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) staff member, they took us for lunch and then to the beach to meet the CAP cadets on camp that we would be staying with that night.

                  For the next few days we met with our host CAP cadets/staff and stayed with host families in the Panhandle. During our time in the Panhandle we visited Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum, went to Big Kahuna’s waterpark, had a beach BBQ with a CAP Squadron and watched a Baseball match in Alabama.

     On Tuesday 29th we departed the Panhandle for Orlando, stopping in Tallahassee (the state Capital) for lunch and a tour round the State Capitol building, after a very long drive we arrived in Orlando at midnight and stayed with host families.

                  Throughout our stay in Orlando we tried indoor skydiving, visited Kennedy Space Centre, watched a rocket launch, spent a day at Universal Studios theme park and went shopping at the outlet mall twice! As well as sightseeing we also met the Florida Wing Commander at a pool party in Animal Kingdom Lodge and were presented with gifts from the CAP. 

On our last day in Florida we experienced an ‘Orientation flight’ in a Cessna 182, this was an hour long flight and we flew over the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Centre. After this we presented the Florida Wing Commander and our CAP Escort Officer with trophies and certificates from the UK on behalf of the RAF Air Cadets. That night we had a ‘farewell dinner’ at Bongo’s Cuban restaurant in Downtown Disney with our host families and escorting cadets.

Kennedy Space Centre

The next day we said our goodbye’s and flew back to Washington DC where we immediately started creating our presentation on our state. After a further day of sightseeing various monuments, buildings and museums we headed to the hotel to deliver our presentation (which made everyone quite jealous) and exchanged our remaining items before packing our bags and getting a short but good night’s sleep.

Wednesday 6th August, It was finally time to fly home and we jumped on the plane to Heathrow, after a very tiring flight I then had to endure 4 hours of train journey before I got home at midday on the 7th August.

CWO Parker with his American hosts

Conclusively, this exchange was undoubtedly the best thing I have done in cadets (I thought nothing would beat my flying scholarship!) and I couldn’t be more grateful for being given the opportunity to go. It is an experience where I have made friends for life and one I certainly will not forget, I encourage every cadet to aim for this as it is without doubt, phenomenal.

Wharfedale Cadets Hit Right Notes

2014 has been a busy year so far for the members of 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron's band.

As well as playing at various local events with the Squadron band a number of cadet have been playing with the National Marching Band of the Air Cadet Organisation.

In June, Flight Sergeant Jørgen Moore, Sergeant Bailey Ryan and Corporal Tom Kraft joined other members of the National Band to perform at 10 Downing Street in front of the Prime Minister, David Cameron to support a Government initiative to expand cadet units in schools.

The National Marching Band playing in the garden of 10 Downing Street.

Following the performance, FS Moore said 'Playing for the prime minister, David Cameron, and other dignitaries in the gardens of 10 Downing Street with the Air Cadet Organisation National Marching Band was without a doubt the highlight of my career in the ATC. I was very nervous at first, but the friendly and warming ethos in the gardens allowed the whole band to relax and play to the best of our ability. It was a very proud moment for myself, and definitely one that I will remember for years to come.'

At the end of July, FS Moore, Sgt Ryan & Cpl Kraft along with Sergeant Tom Hepworth, Corporal Hannah Mayfield, Corporal Daniel Chivers and Cadet Pearce Todd, along with Sergeant (ATC) Sam White travelled down to RAF Halton for a week long camp with the National Marching Band.

The week involved several rehearsals and resulted in performances in Portsmouth for a families day at HMS Excellent and another performance at outside College Hall at RAF Cranwell for the graduation of cadets on the Air Cadet Leadership Course.

 Cadets playing outside College Hall Officers Mess, RAF Cranwell

At Portsmouth the cadets were also able to look round the Royal Marines School of Music at HMS Nelson and see some of the Royal Marine musicians in practice sessions.

Cadet being shown round the Royal Marines School of Music by Corporal Ellie Wilson.

The week also saw the first performance of the Air Cadet Organisation Ceilidh band, which featured FS Moore on drum kit as well as Sgt (ATC) Sam White on acoustic guitar and Sqn Ldr Sue Leighton (ex-OC 1224 Sqn) on the flute.

As Cpl Chivers celebrated his birthday during the week he was presented with an Air Cadet Music Services mug by Wing Commander Gil Singleton, Principle Director of Music in the Air Cadet Organisation.

The week was a great success and enjoyed by all attendees. As this was Cadet Todd's first National Band Camp he was presented with the prestigious gold drum badge.

NACATC Windermere Report

by Cadet Flight Sergeant Lisa Whitaker

On the 12th April, I set off for National Air Cadet Adventure Training Centre, Windermere, on a coach along with 27 other cadets. We all quickly got to know each other, which made the rest of the weeks activities a lot easier. The first night concluded us splitting into 3 flights, and each flight being allocated days to help with catering and the first few of our many lessons on topics such as D of E expeditions and route planning.
The first day began with the a basic swimming test and some free time to spend in the pool. Passing the test meant we could go canoeing later on in the week. After that it was straight to Vertical Air, an outdoor high ropes course designed to test our team work and communication skills, as well as give a few of us quite a fright being so high up in the air. The night ended with more lessons, on weather and how to find the right walking boots for you.
We all awoke bright and early for our practise bronze DofE walk on Monday morning. We split into our flights and were given a different route to follow, all heading to the summit of The Old Man of Coniston. The sun was shining as we set out, but it got very chilly at some if the peaks we had to walk to, but eventually, after many gruelling hours of walking up and over numerous hills, we reached the summit, and the view was amazing! You could see all the way to Morecambe Bay.
Tuesday was a very hectic day, comprising of 3 separate activities happening all at once. So each flight departed heading for different destinations, and over the course of the day, we went canoeing (a lot of people fell in) outdoor rock climbing (the best of the three) and camp craft, which helped us gain some useful knowledge for our expedition the next day.
Wednesday and Thursday were our expedition days, starting from Limfit Park, and finishing in Ambleside after stopping the night at a campsite. The weather held out for us during the day but got very windy and wet whilst we all endured a sleepless night. But reaching the finish point at the end was definitely worth it, and for a lot of people it meant their completion of the Bronze D of E. 
Friday seemed to be a blur, with some people going off to do mountain biking in a nearby trail, and the rest of us orienteering and cleaning the centre for our departure the next day. The night ended with our DofE Aims presentations, some more serious than others. 
Saturday was another hectic day, with everyone needing to be packed, final elements of cleaning to be done and the coach to be packed up. The coach journey gave us all time to catch up on a bit of lost sleep! But also to share memories of the amazing week we had just had. 
I would definitely recommended the course to anyone interested in adventure training, as it is a perfect insight into all kinds of outdoor activities.

RAF Akrotiri Camp 2014

by Cadet Flight Sergeant Jamie Partovi

I didn't expect my bid for the RAF Akrotiri camp in early 2014 to succeed, as these camps are a privilege. On top of this the camp was subsidised by Wing and so really was excellent value for money. For these reasons I was ecstatic to be informed I was to attend the ten day camp in the Mediterranean.  

We arrived late and so most of the formalities had to be postponed, apart from being assigned a flight and it turned out I was the designated Flight Commander for ‘Athena Flight’. 

The first day we did a familiarisation exercise to get to know the base we would be staying in. This was shortly followed be swimming tests to ensure we were able to take part in all the water activities planned. To get to know our peers we all went down to the beach and took part in various ice breakers.

 

FS Partovi in the cockpit of a Griffin Helicopter

The next day was a great one - Waterpark! 

One of the more interesting parts of the camp was a First Aid simulation. A surprise scenario was sprung on the cadets mimicking a car accident using real trauma dummies, this was an excellent team building exercise. followed closely by a tour of the Bomb Disposal unit.

The second day took us to the water park where we spent the day.

At a local Army Barracks we spent the morning practising on their Dismounted Close Combat Trainer (DCCT) - Electronic range, as well as using their climbing wall. that evening we played sports on the beach followed closely by a delicious buffet.

 

FS Partovi taking on the WWO for C&E Yorks Wing at Table Football

 

To follow was a visit to the Dog section and the Fire Section, both very interesting. that afternoon we were allowed the opportunity to go clay pigeon shooting which was great fun, as well as a short walk down the mountain near a place called Troodos. while one half of the group were shooting the other half were taken to explore some local ancient ruins, sadly we didn't have enough time to see them all; they were massive!

We returned to the beach to go Banana Boating followed by a Barbeque.

The next day we visited the Red Arrows, and then had a boat party.

 

FS Partovi with one of the Red Arrows' Hawk aircraft

 

All in all this was an experience of a lifetime and I would recommend it to anyone considering applying for a place.

Wharfedale Air Cadets Celebrate Year of Success

 On Sunday 6^th of April, 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron held their Annual Dinner and Awards Presentations. In a change from previous years, the ‘dinner’ this year was in fact a Sunday Lunch!

The event was a chance to showcase what the Cadets on the Squadron have achieved over the past year and attracted a number of dignitaries including Her Majesty’s Deputy Lord Lieutenant for West Yorkshire, Mr Roger Whittaker and his wife Elizabeth, former Commandant Air Cadets, Air Commodore Ian Stewart and his wife Rosemary, Squadron Leader John Hitchen, Sector 5 Commander Central & East Yorkshire Wing, Squadron Leader Andy Blaikie from South & West Yorkshire Wing, Former Officer Commanding 1224 Squadron and now Projects Officer for Air Cadet Music Services Flight Lieutenant Sue Leighton and her husband Mark, North Region Music Officer Flight Lieutenant Max Puller and Company Sergeant Major Darren Harvey-Hill, from the Royal Military Police.

The afternoon started with the lunch, which was followed by the presentation of certificates that had been earned, by the cadets over the past 12 months, these included Classification Certificates, DofE Awards, BTECs, Marksmanship Awards and Flying Scholarship Certificated. There were also Certificates of Appointment presented to several staff members.

After the presentation of the certificates it was time for the trophy presentations, the winners were:

Attendance Trophy – Cadet Pearce Todd

The Warrant Officers Trophy and the Warrant Officers Cup for the cadet and NCO each earning the highest points for consistently having best turnout over the last year were presented to Cadet Aiden Holmes and Sergeant Karl Verspyck respectively

The White Rose Trophy for most promising new marksman – Cadet Jemima Spence

West Riding Wing Cup for Sport – Corporal Daniel Chivers

The Inter-Flight Competition Trophy (first awarded in 1941) was collected by Flight Sergeant Callum Parker and Sergeant Jørgen Moore on behalf of A Flight

The Ian (Charlie) Clarke Memorial Trophy for Community Service, named in memory of a young Airman who was killed in a road accident in Addingham in 1991 was won by Corporal Bailey Ryan

Percussionist of the Year – Cadet Tom Kraft

Musician of the Year – Flight Sergeant Kjersti Moore

Best New Cadet – Cadet Charlie Franks

Tesco Trophy for Best Intermediate Cadet – Corporal Tom Hepworth

Millennium Trophy for Best Senior Cadet – Corporal Bailey Ryan

The David Stead Memorial Trophy for Cadet Of The Year, presented in memory of Flight Lieutenant David Stead, a former cadet of 1224 who was sadly killed, along with his crew, when the C-130 Hercules he was piloting was shot down over Iraq in January 2005 was won by Corporal Daniel Chivers

Flight Sergeant Callum Parker won the Commanding Officers Cup for his dedication to training and leadership

Corporal Tom Hepworth won the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) Airedale & Wharfedale Salver, awarded to the cadet who collects the highest amount for RAFA over the year

The Squadron was also presented with awards for being the highest collecting ATC unit in both the Yorkshire and Northern areas.

Warrant Officer (ATC) David Wood was also presented with an award for being the highest collecting Adult volunteer in the area.

There were also several promotions made during the awards, they were:

To Corporal: Max Franks, Hannah Mayfield and Ashleigh Smith

To Sergeant: Tom Hepworth and Bailey Ryan

To Flight Sergeant: Jack Bacon, Jørgen Moore, Karl Verspyck and Lisa Whitaker

The band also played sets throughout the afternoon playing songs such as Eye of Tiger, a John Williams Medley, The Air Cadet March and When I’m Gone (from the film Pitch Perfect) amongst other pieces.

Overall the evening was a huge success and we cannot wait for next years event!

Ilkley Air Cadet Plays at Prestigious Remembrance Ceremony

Cdt Calum Carslaw from 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron, based on Ashlands Road in Ilkley recently travelled to Belgium with the National Air Cadet Pipes and Drums to parade at the Menin Gate in Ypres, and visit the battlefields of World War One. 

            The band was formed from cadets from Scotland and Northern Ireland, Central and East Yorkshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, and London and South East Region.  This very special event was planned to coincide with the World War One Centenary and was supported by Commandant Air Cadets, who laid a wreath on behalf of the Air Training Corps and read the exhortation during the service. 

            Cadets from Scotland and Northern Ireland travelled south on the 18th February to Folkestone, near Dover, and stayed the night in barracks before a very early departure at 0500 to the ferry.  All the cadets were treated to a hearty breakfast on the boat followed by an extensive look through the duty free shops.  Once in France, the coach travelled to Tyne Cot commonwealth cemetery and the cadets were given an opportunity to understand the importance of the trip.  After lunch in Ypres, they travelled to Langemark cemetery, where many Germans are buried in mass graves - a very distinct difference to the commonwealth cemetery - and back to Ypres to prepare for the evening’s performance. 

            After a short practice in the church hall, the cadets were allowed some free time to see Ypres before having to return to the church hall to get changed into kilts.  The band warmed up, then got into position to set off at 1930.  At 2000, the band arrived at the Menin gate.  During the service, after the buglers had played the last post, Cadet Carslaw played the solo lament - Flowers of the Forest.  After marching back to the bus, everything had to be packed away quickly to ensure they caught the late ferry.   

            The trip was a success and a worthwhile event to take part in.  The Air Cadet Pipes and Drums are hoping to perform in the Combined Cadet Forces massed pipes and drums at Inverness and Edinburgh Castle this year and hopefully performing for the Queen at Balmoral.  

Calum has been playing the pipes for 6 years and is available for local weddings and events. He has a website at www.carslawbagpiping.blogspot.co.uk.