Air Cadets' Flying Futures Civilian Gliding Instructor Lee Caton (formerly the Squadron's Cadet Warrant Officer) and Cdt Adam Thistlethwaite, both members of No 221 (Gt Yarmouth) Squadron, Air Training Corps, have just been awarded their pilot's wings.

Adam recently attended a Gliding Scholaship at STANTA Airfield, Watton, where with help from Lee (who was one of his instructors) he was trained on the Grob Viking glider to solo standard. The following week Lee himself went on to earn his B Category Qualified Gliding Instructor's wings on a week-long course at RAF Syerston which now allows him, at No 611 Volunteer Gliding Squadron, Watton, to develop young cadet pilots into future instructors.

Meanwhile Cdt Jordon Barber spent a week recently on work experience at RAF Marham, home to the RAF's Tornado GR4 jet bomber fleet. Jordon was employed in the Tornado Propulsion Squadron which maintains the engines for the jets. Specifically she worked on the Engine Pulse Line, being shown how the examination of the Rolls Royce RB199 gas turbine engines is carried out. This included the testing of the engines to ensure that they were fit to fly. This led naturally to No 31 Squadron, one of the RAF's operational Tornado Squadrons, where she spent a day watching the jets fly. When she returned to 221 Sqn she said "If I had the chance to go again I would jump at it - everyone was wonderful and it was an amazing experience!" Cdt Barber is hoping eventually to become a helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force. She should find this week working with the RAF a very useful addition to her knowledge when applying for her future career.

Photo (by P N Keeble): 1. Adam Thistlethwaite (left) and Lee Caton

Norfolk & Suffolk Wing Air Cadets Have New Drill Champions

The Air Cadets in Norfolk and Suffolk have new drill champions, they are 231 (Norwich) Squadron .. Together with 863 (Thurston), 1070 (Diss) and 1249 (Dereham) Squadrons who were all area heat winners, they all took part in a ‘march off’ final at Royal Air Force Honington for the Briggs trophy and to be named as Norfolk and Suffolk Wing best drill team for 2010.

The competition saw evidence of further improvements to the standard of dress and drill with the final scores being very close. With only 5 points (out of a possible 800) separated first and second places it was a very close fought competition final.

231 Norwich Squadron will now go forward to represent Norfolk and Suffolk Wing at the Regional competition final held during the Regional Field day at RAF Wittering in September and will compete to be the Regional drill champions against the other 5 Wing champions in the Region, following this competition the winning team will go forward to the Corp final to compete to become the national Air Training Corps Champions .

Good luck to Norwich Squadron and well done to them for winning and to those Squadrons who took part and made for a close fought and enjoyable competition.

A Royal Review in Style.

Over 1000 cadets and staff from all three cadet services celebrated Cadet 150 in style by marching down the Mall in London, where HRH Prince Charles took the salute. Air Cadets from across the UK made up the largest contingent, of three squadrons of 100 cadets and 30 staff each, with a combined Air Cadet band and a large colour party for the Corps Banner.

Twelve senior cadets from Norfolk & Suffolk Wing, were specially selected to take part, and were accompanied by OC Wing, Wing Commander A J Hipperson, Wing Staff Officers Squadron Leader David Miller, Flight Lieutenant Neill Ovenden and Warrant Officer ATC Trevor Bailey.

Under the guidance of the Queens Colour Squadron of the Royal Air Force Regiment, a full parade practice took place at RAF Northolt on the Monday, following which the cadets and staff were billeted overnight at Brunel University, Uxbridge.

Tuesday morning saw intense activity as the parade was formed up on the hallowed parade ground at Horse Guards Parade by the Garrison Sergeant Major, before proudly marching down the Mall and past Buckingham Palace and into Wellington Barracks. Timing was immaculate as just as the Air Cadets reached the saluting dais, the Red Arrows flew overhead in perfect formation. The cadets and staff then formed up again to march into Buckingham Palace to attend a Royal Garden Party, together with parents and friends as their guests, which was hosted by HRH Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Wing Commander Hipperson, who was the only serving OC Wing to march in the parade said ‘This was truly a magnificent occasion and a great privilege and honour to parade before His Royal Highness. I was immensely proud of my cadets and the look of enjoyment and sheer pride on their faces will live with me forever’. Cadet Warrant Officers Hannah Hooton from 301 (Bury St Edmunds) Squadron and Matthew Miller from 759 (Beccles) Squadron agreed saying ‘we were delighted to be selected for this event and to march in front of His Royal Highness was a great opportunity, definitely the pinnacle of our cadet service. The marching was brilliant; we were all in step and could hear the applause of the crowds lining the Mall; it was fantastic!’ Speaking at the Air Training Corps Annual Dinner that evening, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshall Sir Stephen Dalton said’ this is without doubt the best uniformed youth organisation in the world and you proved this today by the splendid way in which you represented your Corps, the Royal Air Force and the youth of your country; very well done indeed’. By Flight Lieutenant P Cole. WMCO. Norfolk & Suffolk Wing.

Wattisham Cadet’s Celebrate Armed Forces day

Cadets from 1287 SquadronAir Training Corps joined Wattisham Station Commander, Veterans, representatives from the Wattisham Army Air Corps, the Garrison Sgt Major, and at Great Bricett on Saturday to celebrate the second Annual Armed Forces day.

The cadets performed ceremonial activities as well as providing a fantastic drill demonstration to the public, in preparation to our Drill competition next week. The Station Commander, GSM, assembled veterans and members of the public were very pleased with the Cadet's involvement on the day, and took time to talk with Cadets and Staff on a 1:1 basis.

Squadron Leader Brian Relf RAF(Ret'd) who organised the day: said "Thank you very much for bringing 1287 Sqn along to our Armed Forces Day celebrations last Saturday. We were all most grateful to you and your staff for all the effort I know you put in. The enthusiasm of the cadets was obvious and added greatly to the success of the day. It was so great to see our local ATC unit out and about; many villagers didn't know we even had such an outfit. Well, they do now!
 
Please pass on our thanks to all the cadets involved for a job very well done; they are a credit to the Corps. I hope it will not be too long before we see you again. 
Thanks to all Cadets, Staff and Parents who attended the day.

Musci World Premier for ‘Founder Squadron’ March
 
Anyone attending the evening concert in King’s Lynn’s magnificent St Nicholas Chapel following the England squads defeat by Germany in the World Cup would certainly have had their spirits lifted. The two and a half hour concert performed by the West Norfolk Jubilee Youth Orchestra and Concert Band, (WNJYO), was enjoyed by a large audience which included the Mayor Councillor Zipha Christopher and Norfolk and Suffolk Wing ATC Staff Officer Squadron Leader Kevin Green. 
 
This talented youth orchestra and band showcased the skills of all its sections starting with its Training Strings. Although only of primary school age, these spirited youngsters left the audience in no doubt of their emerging talents. Next it was the turn of the Intermediate Strings who performed three excellent pieces.
After the interval the West Norfolk Jubilee Youth Orchestra took the stage. Their repertoire included Brahms Hungarian Dance number 5 and J Strauss’ Thunder & Lightening Polka. The highlight of this concert section was the Concerto for Flute in E minor by Benda which included an outstanding solo performance by Ruth Whybrow. 
Finally it was the turn of the Concert Band under the baton of its director Eddie Seales. Their rousing pieces which included the Big Country and El Cumbanchero reaching to the carved angels in the roof whom one could almost suspect were joining in on their own wooden instruments. 

The Dam Busters March aptly set the scene for the final piece, the world premier of ‘Founder Squadron’, a March commissioned by King’s Lynn’s Air Cadet Squadron, 42F. Introducing the piece Eddie Seales said, “It’s not every day you get the opportunity to world premier a piece of music and I jumped at the chance.”
 
The ‘Founder Squadron’ March was received with much applause and at its conclusion the Squadrons Honorary Secretary Julie Lister thanked WNJYO on behalf of the audience for a “wonderful concert”. She then continued, “On behalf of 42F (King’s Lynn) Sqn Air Training Corps I would Like to thank WNJYO for premiering our very own March, ‘Founder Squadron’, as the culmination of our 70th Anniversary celebrations. As one of the first 50 Squadrons to be formed 42F are privileged to have the ‘F’ for Founder after our Squadron number. Still in existence after 70 years we are proud of our long unbroken history, and of those 14, 15 and 16 year olds who joined, and then went on to serve their country during WWII, hence the title of our March, ‘Founder Squadron’. We are fortunate to have the composer of ‘Founder Squadron’, Ken Hytch, with us this evening and I would thank him for putting his talents into producing what I can only describe as an exceptional piece of music”. 
The March was then played again, bringing the concert to a close, at which point the 42F’s Standard was paraded to the front to further applause. Before taking his leave Squadron Leader Green spoke with some of 42F’s founder members and civilian committee when he commented that the commissioning of the March had been an “excellent way of rounding off the 70th anniversary celebrations....... ending on a high note”!     
 
 Photographs by Mike Lister show Concert Band and 42F (King’s Lynn) Sqn cadets.