75th anniversary plans

The London Service was great this year, although it was a tad cold!

Well I’m afraid to say, I don’t think its the biggest.
According to this newspaper article, the 10th anniversary parade in Canterbury was 1000 strong, just from Kent Wing.

So, as we gaze through the various photos published by HQAC of the attendance of the Duchess of Cambridge at events to mark the anniversary, in how many of them can we catch someone having a healthy letch at her magnificent legs?

I’ve only seen two, and I’m still on 100%…

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Good history! Oh well, maybe the biggest in our Wg. :wink:

Probably biggest ATC parade in recent history, especially as the 10th anniversary parade was many years ago!! Definitely biggest the Wing’s history and bigger than the one in London :sunglasses:

I’ve heard some say the parade in Doncaster was bigger.

I’m sure the London Parade would have been bigger if they hadn’t cut the cadet numbers so that more VIP’s could attend…

I’m led to believe that their quoted number included all cadets, staff & VIPs…

We managed 802 cadets & some 100+ uniformed staff (& a good number of CIs). No contest. :wink:

Ah fair enough then!

Does it really matter if it’s a squadron worth of cadets meeting at a local church or a few hundred marching through a town, the fact they are marking the formation of the Air Training Corps (ATC Sunday) is the main thing.
Of all the big parades I’ve been on, I’ve never felt they have the same impact as local parades. The big parades feature a lot of anonymous mincing around waiting for something to happen and or someone to turn up, a flurry of activity, then people go home and you’ve taken up most of the day for nothing. The cadets may get to see some VIPs who will speak to them, but after that what is there. Of course our two new VIPs are a draw for staff. :grinning: :wink:
Local parades normally provide greater opportunities to talk to people who matter, who will see the cadets on activities other than the parade, they get a chance to speak to cadets and (if you do them properly) are done well before lunchtime, which then gives the (Sunday in this instance) afternoon to relax.

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Hi guys, new here but please be gentle. Firstly my background:

ATC cadet mid 80s reaching dizzy highs of CWO before joining the RAF.
25 years later I leave the RAF and, after a few years grace, join the Corps as uniformed staff.
About a year in I’m still trying to develop a meaningful relationship with Bader.

So, I could rant on about loads of stuff but sticking with 75, my initial thought is that a load of RAF personnel were presented medals for just being there during the Queen’s silver and golden jubilee. Surely it makes sense for the cadets to attain something similar?

PS. Don’t even start me on the ATC ā€œrent-a-crowdā€ malarkey.

@glass_half_empty_2 and anyone else keen to know what the allocations look like for RIAT 2016 see the list

https://sharepoint.bader.mod.uk/RIAT/RIAT%20Documents/20160214-Allocations_RIAT_2016.pdf

i haven’t done the maths but there is a fair representation of the country in that…even if it is not equally distributed
(which would be dependant on equal interest and bidding)