“I joined the air cadets in late 2018 to fuel my passion for adventure and aviation. I was incredibly nervous about joining cadets as I was quite a shy person. However, on my first night as a recruit at 366 (King Ecgbert) Squadron everyone was so welcoming and I quickly made lots of friends. Since then, I have had amazing experiences, developed life skills and have had numerous opportunities for personal development.
Amazing experiences
“Cadets has given me some amazing experiences from performing barrel roles in a Grob Tutor Aircraft to taking part in a national cadet forces shooting competition. However, I have found that I most enjoy spending weeks away on cadet camps which take me across the UK and overseas to active air bases.
“During September 2023 I was selected for an exchange trip with the French Air Cadets – The Escadrilles Air Jeunesse. The four-day trip to Avord air base, France, was to further develop the relations between the two cadet forces and their respective countries. As part of the trip, we spent a lot of time socialising with the French Air Cadets at gatherings in the evenings, while enjoying airshows in the daytime. Once we had time to acclimatise to our unfamiliar environment, we met the French Chief of Air Staff for the Armee Del Air and presented him with a South and West Yorkshire Wing Coronation Coin. We also got the chance to represent the air cadets and the UK in a prestigious passing out parade for some new recruits of the French Air Cadets.
Personal Development
“Through cadets I have been able to develop many new and existing skills such as navigation by progressing in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, I’m going for Gold this year. Not only has this helped me on my expeditions but also outside of cadets when walking with friends or family. By progressing through the classification syllabus that cadets has to offer I’ve gained many qualifications such as the St John Ambulance ‘First Aid at Work’ qualification as well as a BTEC level 2 in Aviation Studies.
“Throughout my cadet career I have experienced many situations that have pushed me out of my comfort zone. Such as taking on an ariel assault course or public speaking in front of a large audience for the first time. Gradually, my confidence has grown, and I now know that I can call upon the skills I’ve learnt as I have faith in my abilities.
North Region Skills Week 2023
“In August 2023 I attended a regional week-long camp focused on fieldcraft and shooting. Part of the camp was a three-day fieldcraft deployment using blank ammunition and fire and manoeuvre tactics. I was requested to be in command (IC) of a section, meaning I was responsible for a group of ten cadets, navigating and giving fire control orders. This really tested my leadership as I had to tailor it for ten individuals whom I’d never met. It was especially difficult to do this when we were firing the blank ammunition.
HM Lord-Lieutenant Cadet
“In 2023 I was appointed HM Lord-Lieutenant Cadet of South Yorkshire, one of the highest honours a cadet can achieve. I’ve really enjoyed attending high profile events with His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant and helping to give something back to the community. Having the chance to be an ambassador to the air cadets and to support and teach the younger cadets some of the knowledge I’ve gained has been a real highlight.”