Had a quick search, and couldn’t find anything.
Has anyone had any experience with delivering a 24hr hour event?
I’mthinking of using our new flight simulator set up to conduct a 24 hour event. Raising funds, but also showcasing the training the cadets have received.
Groups of cadets taking turns to fly legs.
Thinking of how you managed the late hours, resting periods, etc. Would be held at a squadron premises.
Also cautious of staff driving home after the event.
I’m fairly sure H&IOW did a 24 hour climbing challenge a few years ago? Indoor climbing wall relay thing with the team aiming to scale the height of Everest in 24 hours. They used multiple staff working in 8 hour shifts with rest periods etc.
Many, many years ago (90s?) our squadron did an event with SJA doing a “mouth to mouth marathon” event to raise funds for a new ambulance. Again, 24 hours with various shifts and teams taking part in continuous CPR over 24 hours.
As ever, it’s having that robust plan for safe supervision - and post event wind down/getting home. But doing it in shifts seems to work well enough.
We did one earlier this yr (on Sqn premises), to raise funds for the local Air Ambulance & the Sqn.
We ran 4 shifts of 6-8 cadets per 6 hr shift. The aim was to fly around the UK doing either fly-overs / landings (for refuel) at RAF bases. Took a lot of practice to get cadets to a good standard overall - but enhanced planning / navigational skills, etc.
As no sleeping over, nothing really complicated for the RAs - normal building / classroom trg / use of flt sim / hot + cold guides, etc, etc.
We have done a 24 hours of adventure giving as many different experiences of AT as possible - walking, paddlesports, camping, climbing. Technically some of the 24 hours were sleeping, but it was still an adventure.
Looking at how people also “rested” at the units, after shifts. Did they set up camp cots, etc.
All while people continued on shift.
Recently tried to run an event and was told that anything above 14 hours basically can’t happen now unless staff can actually go home, sleep, and come back.
Even multiple 3 hours rest breaks were seen as not suitable. Happy to forward you the emails from the TSA if it’d be useful.
If you give staff the opportunity to sleep, that may change things. But normally sleeping at the unit isn’t allowed because of the fire regs…
I suppose you could just run 2 12-hour shifts or 3 8-hour shifts and then there’s no problem?
What Mike should say here is that the each shift also needs it’s own staff.
I would very much advocate for staff doing an 8 hour shift, so this covers for takeover/handover as required and also means the changeover is not for staff and cadets at the same time.
You finish your shift and go home, just like the cadets would
We did - can’t remember if we had 3 staff with overlap, or 4. Could check SMS if needed.
We did the 24 hour Relay for Life to raise funds for Cancer Research
Understandably a lot of safety bits to be put in place including staff on it couldn’t drive to or from the event, shifts, and some more specific things around discipline and managing it towards the end when people are tired etc