Hi all
I was just wondering out of interest where the biggest squadrons are at the moment and how many cadets these places are actually parading?
Thanks
Used to be RAF Bath parading circa 100 cadets i know Eastleigh was parading around 80 last summer not sure what now
Eastleigh no longer have that many on the books and aren’t the biggest in their wing anymore…
Ahh ok they are my local but i dont attend there ha
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Snap…
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Bath are nowhere near even being medium anymore.
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I was talking about 10 years ago, Sqn Ldr OC parading more than twice a week. Had heard that it had declined in nos
126 (City of Derby) Sqn are/were a 100+ squadron with a purpose built building due to their size.
https://www.maber.co.uk/projects/126-sqn-atc-training-centre/
But then again, squadron numbers go up and down no matter how good a squadron is…
Wasn’t Wanstead and Woodford a biggie??? @jgodden??
And Tower Hamlets (going purely on the size of their digital footprint rather than headcount!!)
110 City of York was big when I was there many years back. No idea what it is like now
yes - 241 have 150 on books at the moment, average parade about 80-90
Tower Hamlet are also over 100
2152 in Bristol was 100+ many years ago. No idea what they like these days…
That new Super Sqn in Stoke should be pretty big?
We have just shy of 90, but a waiting list of 30+ for January start.
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We just had an intake of 20…that was a challenge!
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Our last intake was 27, the one before that 25.
Not any more!
That makes me sad
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Apart from bloody hard work on the part of the CFAV on these squadrons, what are the reasons for their growth and demise? Are they mainly in large cities? I knew about Bath and Derby.
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It would be interesting to find out, true reasons
I know that Glasgow when the corps was first founded the Glasgow wing consisted of 7 squadrons and was reportedly the biggest in the corps with over 3500+ cadets, by the late 1950’s 3 squadrons had shut and a school Sqn had opened but general numbers sat about the 1500 cadet mark and now there is 5 squadrons but between them since about 2000 there has only been approx 150-200 cadets
We all know why the numbers were high to begin with but it is quite a drop from the 1950’s to now yet there is “more” activities albeit perhaps not as much flying available to cadets in general so why are they struggling to recruit?
what are the reasons to the huge drop in numbers over time and is this similar through out the corps?
it is also interesting to note that during the period of high cadet numbers the corps was male only, so when females were allowed to join then you would think it would of resulted in an increase or stabilisation of numbers but it doesn’t seem to of been that way.
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