My old Wing used to have a Wing parade every year. The morning was a rehearsal, and the afternoon was the inspection and March past.
As a bog standard cadet, it was as boring as anything. Lots of standing around getting too hot/too cold, 10 plus cadets fainting in each session… in short, I hated it.
If I was CAC, I would be tapping up any RAF squadrons and begging for PAX places when we return to F2F.
I think the average cadet would much prefer a ride in the back of an A400M, rather than Wing parade.
Best of of 30 years later I could probably tell you about any of the flying i did, the annual camps, the DofE, the AT etc… I think I did a wing parade, which I think may have been in Bristol, but I wouldn’t bet any actual money on either of those, and I certainly couldn’t tell you what it ‘celebrated’.
Having a parade to celebrate something sounds - to me - a bit like having Penelope Cruz sending you filthy messages and celebrating by chopping your bits off with some garden shears…
Fast jet bases - like rocking horse poo when there’s a leap year & on a full moon!
ISTAR (Waddington) - been trying for ages (pre-Covid) - almost as rare as fast jet bases due to classified trg sorties / last minute changes to operational tasking.
BZN - A400m / Voyager / C130 - possibilities - but most likely to be local flights only, which can change at short notice due to operational commitments.
Rotary - seem to have been the best of the bunch in the recent past.
Lossiemouth - Poseidon - possibilities perhaps? However, a long way to go , even for some of the Jock sqns.
Still waiting on the options for flights in “Non-Service” aircraft…
Pretty much any type that has spare seats, I guess. The bigger the aircraft, the better value for money.
If you wanted to tie in the 80th celebration, you could try and get 80 cadets per wing in the air during the summer, or just aim for as many cadet places as possible?
I doubt we’ll be running 2021 summer camps, which is when a lot of cadets normally get back seat rides anyway - this could be the same type of deal, but with no overnight component.
Or think outside the box a little - a lot of airlines will have spare capacity this year. Offer them 50%of the ticket price for, say, 20,000 seats. Maybe ask the pilots to have a q and a before or after the flight. Domestic flights only, spread around the regional hubs so no one has too far to go.
Having a wing muster at an RAF Base was a great thing for our wing.
Flew a few hundred cadets in a day in chinooks, with exhibits from the RAF as a big PR and recruitment event for them, plenty of STEM going on. The RAF even did a field kitchen and fed everyone.
There was a big photo done, but no faffing with “Tell off by Flights”, “March on the Wing Banner”, and 18 thousand Right Dresses…
OC 99Sqn is an ex cadet and VGS bod. I know he has helped out the Swindon based Sqns in recent years.
Have a friend who was 2IC JHC basically told it wouldn’t happen any more. Although HIOW have a good relationship with Odhiam and theyve been known to get Chinook flights
A relationship that’s been built up over a few years, and careful managing.
Had too many staff get on the base and start demanding, which immediately closes doors to the RAFAC. Then takes time to build up again.
I’ve worked well with the ACLO team at Odiham and Brize before, and always asked, never assumed.
One year we were told no flying was available, but did the station tour. Then an hour before, the Sqn OC retasked a training flight for a quick 20 minute jolly round the airfield.
As with everything, I ask and don’t push or assume things are happening.
When ever I call up and ask, it’s always “Hey, I’m Bob*, and I’m with the Air Cadets. I’ve been told you might be able to help me…” I always get a better response.
But you’d be surprised at how many need it. I remember even as a cadet seeing VR(T)s trying to demand things and pull rank on base and they never ended well.
The only time I saw a CFAV justifiably giving orders to regulars was on Akrotiri camp. There was a nasty RTA on the base (car rolled into a fence and post through the windscreen) which we came across as we were all filing past to go somewhere. The VR(T) Flt Lt ran over and started barking orders. A Sgt told him to back to the kids and leave it to the real people. The officer simply stated that he was a major trauma surgeon in real life and the Sgt quickly apologised and did whatever he was told to do.
It’s never going to, is it! At the stage where you might even feel you have to do that the situation is likely lost. I’m always staggered at the stories you hear, it’s just knowing how to deal with people - and to change that approach depending on the personality of the person you’re dealing with. We even teach this in leadership.
Trauma surgeon on scene at RTA is a trump card. A shame the sgt automatically assumed he was just sticking his nose in though - respect works both ways.
Known of one instance where a Flt Lt went in to stores after removing their VRTs…
The inexperienced SAC behind the counter issued what was requested… We got banned from station for a while after that. Ended up being lots of operational type clothing, etc.
My thoughts exactly - we’ve taken 3 steps back, the targets need to be throttled back accordingly. Specific, Measurable, ACHIEVABLE, REALISTIC…
I would have planned x many trips, y many FT weekends, and a variety of other things this year. I’ve adjusted my goals for the year and probably next year will be better, but potentially still not the levels I intended to hit during 2020.
Also, could you imagine the reaction if the message was “full steam ahead” with plans and ambitions in all sectors, and the pressure that would place on CFAV?
I would stake my pension, house, life savings and indeed my life comfortably on the knowledge that 95% of these “stories” are either made up or grossly exaggerated.
Remember.
The fish caught always get bigger with each story.
Just as the Air Cadet event or jape on camp always gets more unrealistic with every telling.
Oh no, I’ve been on camp the week after such an upsetting has occurred on a couple of occasions. Disappointingly, one of those was another from my Wing (although I wasn’t surprised at who).
However… This person was not the new CAC, so it doesn’t really matter to this thread…
I had an adult FS once trying to convince me a new Plt Off at the time that when they were a flight staff cadet they spent the weekend practising landing the glider on a moving trailer.
I.e. landing a glider ON TO a trailer being pulled by a land rover.
I told him to grow up and come up with more realistic male cow excrement.
Funnily enough when I spoke to the vgs in question they had no knowledge. I explained good thing too, else I would have to inform the MAA.
