As my final piece with Speak Out, I’ve decided to write about another one of my favourite extra-curriculars – Air Cadets.
I’ve been attending for nearly three years now, and it’s given me opportunities I never even knew existed. Countless hours have been spent walking with random groups of cadets, singing, chanting, getting to know others, but most importantly, the memories I’ve made have been unforgettable. I’ve been both gliding and flying (you somehow forget you’re scared of heights once you’re up in the air). I’ve been on multiple camps where you can just meet some of the funniest people you will ever know and just have an overall great time taking part in new activities and making new friends. Every camp brings something new.
Aside from things that I’ve done with just my squadron, multiple times a year there are various wing events to take part in (a wing is simply a bunch of squadrons, our wing is made up of hs 31 squadrons). These events could be swimming, athletics, or an overall competition where all the squadrons compete against each other in basic training components like drill, radio, space, etc. If you compete in things like the athletics or swimming competitions, you have a chance to go to regionals, and this year I’m going to regionals for athletics where it’ll be a whole day of meeting new people, having fun and just making the most of it.
At cadets, I’ve met and made so many new friends, some of whom I might never have spoken to if I had never joined. The staff and cadets are really welcoming, easy to talk to, and have made my experience even better.
Cadets has been great fun for me whilst I’ve attended, and maybe if any of what I’ve shared has piqued your interest and you’d like to give it a try then I’d definitely recommend seeing whether or not it’s for you. We accept new cadets twice a year, typically around March and September time and if you want to get a feel for what it’s all about first, then we always have an open evening just so you can get a glimpse of what we do. If you’re interested and would like to know more, you can always go to our squadron’s website for more information about the Air Cadets in general, open day details and how to get in touch.
Want to give it a try? Find out more here
