What We Do

This is what it's all about - activities that offer challenge, excitement and adventure and the knowledge you pick up along the way through structured lectures and first-hand experience.

Don't worry about being thrown in at the deep end. You’ll join your local squadron as a trial, when you get to know the other cadets and start basic training. You then get gradually introduced to activities as you progress, so you can make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.

Get out and get active

Cadet life is about learning through practical experience, especially in the great outdoors! Here's a taster of what's in store:

Fieldcraft and Camping - Work on your survival skills and learn your strengths in a team. The RAF section runs the Night Exercise every year where cadets camp on the school site and use laser rifles to do 'battle'.
Contingent/Summer camps - In addition to the two contingent camps held during the year (October/January), cadets in the RAF Section also have the opportunity to take part in several camps over the summer including the section camp to an RAF station, drill camp, Aerospace camp and many others.
Overseas camps - We have sent cadets on camps all over the world. Spend 10 days in Cyprus with fantastic weather, swimming, sailing, and maybe even see the Red Arrows practise their displays (they train there). Head to Germany where you'll visit a city or cemetery from the First and Second World Wars. You may even get to fly in helicopters - another exciting possibility for cadets. We have also sent cadets to Gibraltar, even to Hong Kong!
Adventurous training - A huge part of cadet training. There are two centres, at Windermere in the Lake District and Llanbedr in coastal Wales, both with stunning scenery. Rock climbing, abseiling, high-level hill walking, mountain-biking, canoeing, high rope work and sailing are all par for the course.
We also run other activities through the year including whitewater rafting, high ropes, parachuting and many others.

Get airborne

Flying is central to our purpose and your cadet experience. You'll have loads of opportunities to take to the skies:

Gliding - Soar to success! There are fantastic opportunities to glide while you are a cadet, with the ultimate goal being a solo flight. Training is in three stages: a Gliding Induction Course (GIC), Gliding Scholarship (GS) and Advanced Gliding Training (AGT).
Air Experience Flights - Feel the thrill of powered flight, with a fully qualified pilot to guide you through taking control of the aircraft yourself. Not only have the opportunity to learn about the flying controls but you’ll experience aerobatics and low level flying too. There are usually 4 or 5 opportunities to fly through the year.
Air Cadet Pilot Scheme - The pinnacle of flying as a cadet, for advanced handling. Complete this successfully and you'll be awarded your cadet pilot wings. And if you do exceptionally well you could be recommended for further training which will help towards your Private Pilot's Licence!
Air Cadet Pilot Navigation Training Scheme - A great opportunity to use your navigation skills, this two-week course where you fly for up to eight hours is open to selected cadets. Success will lead to you gaining your 'wings'

Think you can lead?

You may have more talent for it than you think. Leadership qualities are in all of us and you will have several opportunities to improve your leadership from lessons at the unit, the junior and senior leadership cadres at RAF Henlow to Air Cadet Leadership Course, a physically demanding 7-day summer cadet leadership course will help bring them out. Make it through and you’ll be a more confident and responsible cadet having learnt the full benefits of working in and leading a team.

We are also able to boast about the fact that we had the only CCF cadet in the country to complete the Junior Leaders course, the top leadership course available to Air Cadets throughout the country.

Training syllabus

A key part of the cadet experience is your progress through the training syllabus. Set out in stages for you to work through, it enables you to open up more possibilities for activities, specialist technical training and rank promotion. All cadets take part in lectures and hands-on projects. You also get outdoors and 'actually do it' as much as possible.

We expect a lot from you - it's a serious commitment to be a cadet - but once you've experienced it yourself we know you wouldn't have it any other way.