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.