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Tag: Gliding

Silver Gliding Wings for Bedlington Air Cadet

Congratulations and well done to Sgt Esmee Webley, an Air Cadet with 2522 (Bedlington) Sqn, who has been awarded with her Silver Gliding Wings after completing the new Silver Gliding Course. Sgt Webley was the only cadet selected from the North Region and has spent a week at RAF Syerston where she completed 43 launches in the Grob Viking Glider as part of the course which ended with her completing a solo flight in the glider. This is a great achievement for Sgt Webley, who lives in Morpeth and attends the Air Cadet unit in Bedlington. It is a great experience and one step closer to her goal of becoming a pilot in the Royal Air Force.

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Vigilant Returns to Skies over Topcliffe

On Saturday 17th September 2016, the Grob Vigilant of 645 VGS at RAF Topcliffe took to the skies again. This marked one of the biggest steps towards recovering Air Cadet Gliding since in April 2014 the decision was made to pause all Air Cadet gliding throughout the organisation. This was a difficult decision made in order to future proof air cadet gliding and safeguard its future, and to ensure the air worthiness of the fleet. Since then work has been ongoing in the background to get the fleet back in the air and the squadron has been under the guidance of No.2 flying training school (2FTS). At midday on Saturday, aircraft ZH207 crewed by Flt Lt Dave Smith (CGS) and...

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Gliding

Air Cadet gliding takes place at Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (VGS) located throughout the country which are staffed by RAFAC officers, Civilian Instructors and cadets. Gliding Squadrons operate one the winch-launched Viking glider. Gliding offers a much more "hands on" experience for cadets as the syllabus reinforces the theoretical knowledge taught on squadrons. Opportunities available to cadets are listed below. GLIDING SCHOLARSHIPS At 16 years of age cadets can apply for a gliding scholarship which provides gliding instruction of 8 hours or 40 launches to achieve their 'blue' wings. Cadets who demonstrate an aptitude for gliding are allowed a further 20% in order to achieve solo standard and gain their 'silver' wings. Some cadets will be selected to attend the VGS...

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35 SQUADRONS AND OVER 1600 CADETS AND STAFF Are you up for fun, adventure, incredible experiences and making new friends? Are you looking for something to give you the edge in life? Then welcome to the Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC). Better known as the ‘Air Cadets’, we’re a UK-wide cadet force with more than 40,000 members aged between 12 and 20 years. Durham/Northumberland Wing covers County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland  and includes 35 Squadrons from the Scottish Border to County Durham, and from the Pennines across to the North-east coast. We’re sponsored by the Royal Air Force and can give you hands-on experience of activities and courses that will challenge and develop your skills to help...

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What we do

Cadet life is about learning through practical experience, especially in the great outdoors! Here's a taster of what's in store. 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 training and first-hand experience. Adventure Training, Band, Camps, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Fieldcraft, Flying and Gliding, Shooting and Sport are just a few of the activities on offer in the Air Cadets, so to keep things simple we've broken it down into areas which you can access using the links below. Flying Gliding Camps Shooting First Aid Adventure Training Music and Bands Parades and Ceremonial Sports Training and Education DofE Fieldcraft [do_widget id=tag_cloud-2]

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