Flying & Gliding

People think that Air Cadets are just a ground-based organisation which just talks about flying…..they are WRONG!  The ATC has a fleet of gliders (Vigilants and Vikings) and powered aircraft (Grob Tutors).  Each squadron is allocated places at their local RAF Flying and Gliding schools. Our schools are at RAF Leeming and RAF Topcliffe.  Each cadet gets a couple of flights a year, and it doesn’t cost a thing!

All our aircraft are two-seater, side-by-side design, which means that the cadet has one-on-one tuition from a qualified RAF or ATC pilot, and for a large part of the flight will have control of the aircraft themselves!  Many cadets like to learn how to do aerobatics, and others prefer fly straight and level, it’s up to you.

Cadet aged 16 or over can also apply for a Gliding Scholarship, which is an intensive gliding course of a full week or several weekends, and if the cadet is good enough this course can end with a solo flight.  There are also further qualifications possible for the very best cadet pilots, and they can rise up to instructor level.

There are also sometimes opportunities to fly in other types of aircraft, RAF, USAF and civilian.  Cadets and staff from this squadron have flown in a Nimrod, BAe146 (from the Queen’s Flight), Hercules and Dominie fixed wing aircraft, and Puma, Sea King, Chinook helicopters.  Some lucky cadets have even had flights in fast jets like the Hawk.