I was a Scout until I moved up north to Warton- I found it a very boring Scout group and bumped into someone from School who was in the ATC, And I changed over.
The OC of that unit at the time was a WW2 Air Gunner and a real inspiration. He passed away and we moved down south and the next OC I worked with was a Commerical Pilot, and a very active Display Pilot. We used to Fly every weekend and I got the bug, My First hands on in a Helicopter led me to want to Fly such things in the forces.
I qualified as a service Pilot and had a great career until I left to do other things, I remained in the reserves and then started Flying AEF. I then got involved in running a unit after my son joined.
I hope I am able to encourage cadets to get Flying, my life was changed by my joining the ATC.
bored of scouts and being bullied at scouts so decided on something else and joined the cadets and Iāve never looked back
I was a cadet for 5 years, left on a Monday night, sworn into the RAF the following day, was at Swinderby on the Wednesday (a whole 48 hours without blues) When I left the RAF decided to put in what I got out of it as a cadetā¦ being doing it ever since - bottom line: When I stop enjoying it, I will stop doing it!
I had always been interested in Joining the RAF so I saw it as a way to get as close as possible to the RAF as I could at my age.
I am now not fixed on the RAF but still an option.
I was never a cdt. Though It was 50/50 between joining the RAF or going to uni. Already done recruitment testing to see what i could do and was told pretty much anything.
Ended up deciding to go to uni for my degree, didnt know about otc or any of that.
Got my degree and needed something to do in my spare time and my friend who was an acf instructor suggested the cdts so i had a look and due to my raf interest joined the atc as a CI.
Discovered i loved teaching cdts and learning all the stuff myself. The rest is history
I joined the ATC back in the day as I was interested in joining the RAF. After a 24 year career, I left the RAF, had a 10 year break and I have now re-joined as a CI with a view to going back into uniform.
As a Cadet - Top Gun wanted to be a fast jet rear
As a CI - part of rehab after an accident that stopped me joining the RAF
As a Uniformed CFAV after 15 year break - to give something back, realising I got so much out all those years ago as a cadet and hopefully have the same impact some of the staff back then did on me
Working in a school with a CCF with RAF section; helped out a bit with AT weekends (which I enjoy anyway); then got a PPL so was talked into joining the RAF section as a CFAV. Surprised myself by enjoying all sorts of other things (shooting, drill, etc.) and still here 19 years later.
Maybe it was in the genes - my grandfather was CO of what was then āthe Corpsā at Dulwich. But then my father hated every minute of his time in the CCF at his own school!