Activities
What is the Royal Air Force Air Cadets all about?
The Royal Air Force Air Cadets gives young people memories they will never forget, like the first time in an aircraft, being in the drill team, making new friends at a camp or sharing a tent with their friends on DofE. At cadets there is never a dull moment!
Not only can you get outside and be active through activities like camping, Easter/summer camps and adventurous training, you can also gain experience being a leader. At cadets there is numerous opportunities to apply to be part of the NCO and SNCO team at the Squadron, these ranks are held by cadets who have shown leadership qualities and they form part of the chain of command at the Squadron.
Another key part of the cadet experience is your progress through the Air Cadet syllabus, this enables you to gain valuable information about different topics within cadets. If you complete the training syllabus you will achieve the rank 'master cadet' and you will be awarded a BTEC in Aviation Studies.
Drill and Ceremonial Duties
Even on day one as a cadet at 2493 Squadron, you will learn the basics of drill and ceremonial duties. By the end of your first class training you should have a good understanding on why we carry out drill and ceremonial duties and you should be able to complete drill movements as a whole flight with the correct timings to replicate the standards the RAF uphold.
As you progress through your cadet experience, you will have a vast amount of opportunities to join the Squadron on parades, join different drill squads like the banner party or you could represent the Squadron by being part of the 2493 (Alsager) drill team.
Flying and Gliding
The Royal Air Force Air Cadets is very well-known for providing young people with the opportunity to get in the sky and take control of an aircraft. This can include engine powered aircraft, gliders, helicopters and many more. As a cadet, you have the opportunity to gain a scholarship to fly solo in planes and gliders. As a Squadron, we take advantage of every opportunity we have to give cadets that experience and work towards the flying and gliding badges that the air cadet syllabus has to offer.
Fieldcraft and Military knowledge
The Royal Air Force Air Cadets give cadets best of both worlds, you can experience the highs of flying in the sky but you can also replicate similar skills used by the RAF Regiment. As a cadet, you can learn about the ins and outs of fieldcraft where you get to learn skills such as camouflage, reconnaissance and foot patrols.
You can also learn the basics of military radio skills and progress through the badge levels from blue to gold.These skills are then further developed through courses on Easter/summer camps in the future.
Adventure Training
At 2493 (Alsager) Squadron adventure training is one of the favourite activities you can do as a cadet and staff member at the Squadron. Collectively, everybody aims to master the skills that allow you to dive deep into the unknown either being in a forest or a field on bronze DofE. Adventure training can come in all forms ranging from mountain climbing, kayaking, mountain biking and many more. Throughout the year, the Squadron aims to give every cadet the opportunity to take part in these activities and make memories they will never forget!
At the Squadron, we have a wide range of highly skilled staff that are very enthusiastic towards delivering activities such as mountain biking and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.