One of the best things I did in camp once was an assault course made specifically for the cadets. it was made out of old kit from about the station mostly old U/S survival equipment. Rafts, parachutes.
Some were the big 25man rafts, filled with water the last with gunge we had to find things in.
Maybe something like that with your old kit.
Really great to see this kind of proactivity!
Anything as āhands onā and engaging as possible. My child went to a flying station in the north of England last year on annual camp and is now no longer interested in annual camps as they spent most of the week off site visiting local towns, when the experience was described to me even I was disappointed.
For some you have the opportunity to influence them and their perceptions for many years.
I know health and safety and child protection play a much bigger part than they did when I was a cadet but the experience was one he could have had with any youth club.
Any section visits that can provide insight into what its like to do the role day to day would be good, despite not being an active recruiting organisation any more there is a reason why some of the kids have chosen the RAFAC over the myriad of other options available now. I donāt know it they are still possible but remember having the possibility of extended section visits to experience specific roles. Anything that gets them at least close to an aircraft and an experience most of their wider friendship circle wonāt experience, even if they get to sit in the cockpit in a hangar for a few minutes each during a tour of the facility, the younger ones especially will remember it for a very long time.
I still have cadets from when I was a CI nearly 20 years ago when we bump into each other fondly recalling the time they got to sit in a Jag at Lossie, from memory they must have had no more than 2-3 minutes each.
I love this - and I have already briefed the team, that we donāt ask the Cadets to get out of the cockpit ā¦ we wait for them to say theyāre done!
Thank you very much,
That is a dangerous game - some will be there until they need to feed!
Iād have happily foregone lunch for another few hours in that Gazelle being a general hazard to aviation over Germany.
I think Iāve still got the 9 Regt, AAC t-shirt.whether it still fits is perhaps a matter best glossed overā¦
I really wouldnāt mind at all - if thereās a smile on the faces, spend more time there ā¦ if thereās yawning, time to freshen it up. All the old school thinking, with enough flexibility to accommodate.
What I have tended to find over the years is that on the first exposure, day 1 to an aeroplane ā¦ we have more reluctant Cadets ā¦ not overly confident to jump in, but as the camp progresses, we make time to revisit the hangar and give them a second chance 
Hello! Itās great to hear from such a proactive ACLO! Kinda wish weād been allocated your camp this year! I have a couple of thoughts on your post.
You are the boss, and they are the guests! Tell them what they can and canāt change!
That sounds brilliant, but can I ask about kit? Will suitable sleeping bags, waterproofs, roll mats, mess tins, Bivi bags, shelter sheets, day sacks etc all be provided? Not all cadets will have the kit and may bring along unsuitable stuff for an exercise like thatā¦ also, my Wing ExO has a habit of ordering the smallest coach possible, and weāve struggled to get everyoneās kit on board - and that was just suitcases with the standard kit in.
Cadets often only have 1 set of MTP kit and boots - Is there a laundry/drying room the cadets can use free of charge if their kit gets gopping? Especially if the FTX is mid week, and they will wear MTP later on.
Hope it all works out for you!
Night ex is only a 1hour 30 ish manoeuvre around the airfield with DLBs and scenario actors driving the outcome. Nothing more āgreenā than that. The kit will in all likelihood get dirty though, and as I canāt guarantee laundry I am planning the uniform for the activities accordingly.
Iām thinking shirt and tie day one, working dress days two and three, combats for the field craft day, then working dress again for day five.
Iām submitting helicopter requests this week, we have planned exercises in over the period but early noise is promising for getting something up that the Cadets can get up in based on early comms.
Sounds good!
When you said 24 hour ex, I kind of assumed you meant overnight in the field!
My bad - a day being 0630 to 2359
Make it too good and the job will follow you throught you time in the service and everybody will want you:grinning:
Hodgkii2, for any Green Fieldcraft activities planned for your Camps program, please liaise with the visiting Wingās Fieldcraft Officers asap as depending on what the activities are, they will need to create Fieldcraft clearances in advance of the Camp.
Is your ACLO Team providing the Instruction for these or is it up to the visiting Wings? Again if the later then liaison in advance is very import. Iād advise asking the Wings to put you in touch with their FC Officer directly, as WHQās may not think specialist Staffing for this important.
Youāll need a ratio of 1:10 Instructor to Cdts in the day and 1:8 at night.
Good to see Green stuff on a Camp program!
Very good initiative of you to post on here though for peoples thoughts and ideas.
As mention by previous posts:
MT Support is vital to get right ,especially in the evenings if there are any off base visits to swimming pools, bowling etc. Staff duty hours need to be taken into consideration if driving duties are involved to keep within MT Regs and safe best practice
Agree with some free time in the evenings provided this is sold right to the Cdts.
They need time to do their kit for the next day and undertake their own drill practice, which builds a Team of their flight. Iāve Staffed Camps in the past where the CC/Training Officer tried to fill every minute of the day with activities which over works the Staff and doesnāt give the Cdts time to gel.
