Had a tour of the inside of the building yesterday - it’s fantastic!
I need to highlight the amount of effort that RFCA have gone to to accommodate our requests for the new building - particularly with regard to furniture. We have asked for a number of changes to be made to the planned furniture and all changes have been made. The inside really does look great, and the equipment and features included are top notch.
We will be looking to put up some pictures and a video as soon as we move in.
Looking forward to seeing it!
As mundane as it sounds I’d be interested to see what sort of office and storage space you’ve been given. We have a new build building put up about four years ago and its been a squeeze ever since we moved in!
We have a glorified shed as our hq.
Reading this thread makes me sad as the disparity across the corps is clear.
Good luck though with your move in.
I’ve attached the layout map for info. The main store has racking around the edges and then through the centre too. There is also some storage in each lecture room which is really handy, plus cupboards in the main office. There is also a secondary store with racking too.
The layout is pretty good to be honest. We have still had to rationalise our equipment to fit everything in, and will be giving a lot of stuff away to other squadron’s who need things.
this is the case between each Squadron.
As a Cadet we had a spooner hut.
our neighbouring unit to the east had a two story brick building, complete with Drill hall and celler, to the north they also had a brick building, with a secondary building with massive storage space
the next closest also had a spooner hut with access to a civilian range behind it!
As Staff I have been at a unit operating from a school, a TA centre and Spooner huts, all with different arrangements, one with outside toilets another with second hut as a store!
I am extremely jealous of your new build @Threaders
If it was me and we were merged i would hand over the reins to another OC and have that store room as my personal fiefdom.
Can’t see any toilets on the plans.
2 sets - 1 set of 3 above the main office, 1 set of 3 above lecture room 2 and 3 (small rooms on the map)
Looks like each toilet opens out onto a corridor as opposed to into a room for toilets? How are they going to be allocated? Unsex, Male/Female, Male/female staff and Male/Female cadets?
Most likely Unisex given they are individual rooms.
Same as it’s always been sadly.
What’s the overall size excluding the range, as that is to all intents dead space.
Is the main stores outside? Regardless I’d have had that in with the ‘office/staff block’ just for convenience and additional security. Not sure I’d want my door opening onto the main room as per the drawing.
I like the IT room, we’ve got a radio room and it’s never had a radio in it of any sort. Will it be just used for IT.
You seem to imply two floors, if so, is there a lift?
One of the toilets must be designed for the disabled. We use the disabled toilet as our staff toilet.
Wait till the snag list hits and the “we’ve run out of money” line comes forth. We got a new big shed 14 years ago that came on a lorry and it took 18 months after moving in to get all the snags sorted, well there is still one left which after 14 years of constant works order requests (going through 4 or 5 revisions of the form and or process) is still to be done.
You might be lucky though as I recall this wasn’t being paid for by RFCA/HQAC, but they will be involved from now on … bad luck.
Are you getting descended on by the unwashed when you have an official opening? I wouldn’t invite them. When we had ours I invited the LL, MP and Mayor all of whom I was on good terms with, a clutch of local councillors, RAFA, RBL, Rotary President … the Wg Cdr and WSO came as well.
Assume you are referring to:
What Threaders seems to be referring to is the small rooms across the corridor from the main office and lecture rooms 1 and 2, no upstairs.
Obviously the plans we have are not to scale, but by the looks of them its a shame they dont build a second floor with accommodation. Looks like it would make a great weekend course location
Good idea but not for the unit staff as I imagine they’d be opening and closing for such things, also as I imagine this will have expensive keys and only get a few done.
I was trying to make sense of the thick black lines and the lighter areas between rooms and the grey areas.
No idea.
Yup - only one door in and out.
IT and Cyber, we’ve also had RFCA install a 55inch touch screen we owned in there, along with our VR flight Sim. Radio kit will be in there too. The roomed is named for Vic Reynolds whom some of you may know.
One floor - when I said “above” I perhaps should have said “north of”.
2 are disabled toilets - one in each set of 3 mentioned above.
Our local MP is our squadron president - and is quite frankly exceptional to us. But yes we will be inviting people.
Looks good! Been trying to follow your photos. Better than my Squadrons new build (4 years) and it doesn’t look like there is much dead space!
Although possibly too late now, points to note for any future new builds.
Flat roofs leak. Lots.
Car parks sink on floodplains.
Check weight limits to car park, we got told after a while of not knowing.
Make sure all media RFCA installs is plugged in (ours wasn’t, projectors, speakers etc).
Make sure you have planning permission to use own land.
Check height of hot water boiler, if above eye level, can not be used due to H&S.
If floodplain, trenches are dug that is left uncovered and fences put round it that covers most of the land (diagonally).
A couple of our problems, to name a small few!
Hoping you don’t have any of those issues and the move is seamless! 
Good luck!
I think fortunately we should be safe from most of that. The work RFCA has done on screens, projectors etc, has been very good.
Glad to hear! Look forward to seeing the opening on Facebook!
