So I’m going on RAF Cranwell Autumn Camp, I have a few questions and im really excited to go, here are my questions:
What activities do you normally do on the camp?
Are there any fieldcraft related activities?
What’s the accomodation like?
Is there anything to do in your free time?
Anything else I should know about cranwell?
Thank you in advance!
answering this question is like trying to answer “how long is a piece of string?” and “how deep does a hole need to be to be called a hole?”
but in turn
What activities do you normally do on the camp?
as an annual camp, there will be a mix between visiting the various sections on station, likely one flying station (visit to the hangar and walk around the aircraft) and likely other sections.
given RAF Cranwell has the college, one section visit is likely to include a tour of the collage.
there will also likely be a fair amount of Cadet activities, such as drill. it is typical the the camp is split into two flights and the Station WO will judge a drill competition at the end of the week.
there is also likely to be some “sports” included. this could be running around the sports field, in the gym, or in the swimming pool.
In some cases shooting at the range might be available, although less likely in recent years.
there could be some AT, likely trekking (walking) if Staff have the qualifications to make this happen.
often an annual camp will visit the sights off camp, be that the local town/city, or a suitable (maybe aviation/military themed) attraction in the local area
much of that is dependant on the Staff going on the camp from your Wing, and the resource that the station has available.
Are there any fieldcraft related activities?
this will be dependant on the Staff attending and the timetable for the camp. I haven’t done many “annual camps” and have never done fieldcraft, so in my experience it is rare
What’s the accommodation like?
this could be either tents or hard accommodation block. the last time i was at Cranwell on camp (over 15 years ago) we were in 12x24 tents on the sports field.
Is there anything to do in your free time?
there is often chance to visit the local NAAFI /Spar shop, although this might not be every evening. time is often spent hanging out with other Cadets, be that tent/room mates or in other groups. Cadets often use this time for polishing/ironing uniform too.
Anything else I should know about cranwell?
Best to take a look at the Station website (https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/stations/raf-cranwell/) and take a read of what goes on at the Station, and the various units, sections and Squadrons based there - the location is the first distinct element of an annual camp so best to find out what you might be going to see/visit. (the second distinct element is the staff attending with you)
Annual camps can vary between years, between Stations, between wings.
It has been known that the same Wing attending back to back have completely different experiences based on the team of attending staff and their personal interests and what skills/qualifications they have.
there is likely to be a rough outline timetable for the week for the Camp Com (Camp Commander) to work with, however there will be gaps, spaces and time in the day they can fill as they choose and this is what makes each week unique so it is very difficult to answer your questions with any confidence or firm answers
If you have a look at West Scotland Wings Facebook page, they’ve recently returned home from annual camp at Cranwell and the post will give you a good idea of the activities you may be doing.