Hi all,
I’ve recently came into control of our squadrons website, after it being mostly untouched for a couple of years. It still generates a decent amount of traffic, but still looks like it’s from another time. I’m in the process of redesigning the website at the minute, and I’m trying to look around to get some inspiration, and seeing how other units have done their sites.
The issue is, websites have slowly been dropping off for the last decade or so, so there’s not tons to look for. I’ve looked through some old threads on here, but most website links now lead nowhere.
Does anybody know of any Squadron websites that are still up and modern?
TIA!
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@OC.1324 has a pretty good website, I’d recommend checking that out for some inspiration.
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I made a website for my sqn a couple years ago.
https://1011.sqn.ac
Make sure you check the ACPs for what has to be on there - for example the website has to have the Aims of the RAFAC on there somewhere for example. Decide what it’s going to be for - is it for the cadets on the squadron OR for recruitment etc
My advice is to keep your site simple with a modern feel and you should get approval from your Wing media officer to make sure everything is in order. Read the ACP to get guidance on what you can and must not do.
I wouldn’t bother with the ACP right now, as it’s been completely rewritten and it’s being released soon.
Many thanks to @JoeBloggs for the kind words.
I’ve invested quite a bit of time in developing it and there’s still a lot I want to do with it.
We host on square space, which does add up, but it makes it incredibly easy for someone to learn the ropes and take over if required.
The key is to keep it up-to-date. I make all my cadets put the bare bones of an article together whenever they do something that isn’t on a normal parade night. That should ensure it’s never more than a month without a new article.
I’ll be happy to chat through anything if I can be of use.
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“ Flying is central to your cadet experience. You’ll have loads of opportunities to take to the skies.”
2 or 3 opportunities a year is still loads compared to none 
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I’ve been involved with two versions of our websites. Similar to you, I started on the first version as a cadet using Moonfruit. After becoming a CFAV I moved us over to WordPress: https://2497.sqn.ac. As others have said, the key is to keep it up-to-date. I’ve given ours another refresh this year and try to continue to improve the user journey as this is where we direct all of our social media users to.
Would love to make our squadron website but i am absolutely clueless when it comes to doing this and what to do. I also ain’t the most artistic/design type person either lol
Hey there! Know this thread has gone inactive for sometime now. I’ve built a few websites in my time, here is one I built recently for a squadron : https://485squadron.co.uk
For context, this website was developed bespokely to meet the squadron’s needs - meaning it required a bit of technical knowhow behind it with our own custom CMS (meaning non technical users can update content aswell). Now this took me a couple of months and is still in constant development. But you can very easily build something using wordpress or squarespace. I personally prefered to do it from scratch as I felt it gave us more control, would work out cheaper to the squadron and give alot more freedom to how we wanted it to look. 
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I like it
what I’m really after is a Wordpress theme that is - more or less out of the box - suitable for a squadron website or one that can be made to work that way with minimal effort.
It doesn’t need lots of pages (3 or 4 will do to start) and ideally not have huge spaces for photos or calls to action etc, that a lot of the current themes have. They also are often very e commerce focused or you only get full control by paying for them (often an annual fee).
I want something that any reasonably IT-literate CFAV can maintain, I can build whizzo stuff in WP and code if I have to, but that creates a single point of failure. And as an OC I don’t have the time to be the webmaster too, sadly!
Honest advice, get in touch with HQ for any specific requests.
I know there’s development going into the main website. For example, if you submit a news article, the organisation will post it and link it to your squadron contact page.
It might not have all the extra details we often want a local page to have, but it’s taken care of and would then have:
- unit locations and name
- Button to apply to join
- Current News articles
Arguably there’s no need for each unit to be saying what the RAFAC is and what it does.
Perhaps some extra unit photos of facilities, a page in ex OCs, in memorial etc but otherwise we all do exactly the same thing.
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Why are your CFAV NCO ranks in the wrong order? All the other lines start with highest rank on the left, lowest on right. But the CFAV NCO ranks are the other way round 
lmao good spot, didn’t actually notice that till now. Maybe cause I copied it from the RAFAC page at ridiculous o clock with no sleep or caffeine lol and didn’t realise 
https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/who-we-are/ranks/
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That source also contains the incorrect statement that everyone in RAFAC and the RAF wears badges of rank. Whilst that might one day be true for cadets (when the CADET rank slides are eventually in circulation) it will still not be the case for CIs in RAFAC or ARs in the RAF.
Are these purely for Halton?
Also Honington, and reservists at dispersed locations on pre-Halton/Honington training weekends.
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I was always told that CI wasn’t a rank but rather an appointment for a civilian (that mindset might be before CFC’s were brought in and NCO’s got introduced as adult ranks
Do they not wear flight tabs, which sort of act as a rank distinguisher?