Welcome to...
Flying and Gliding
Joining the Air Cadets opens up lots of opportunities, including the chance to fly! It’s our aim to get you airborne as often as possible, as a passenger in a light aircraft, a glider or even on-board RAF aircraft such as our Typhoon fast-jet or a Chinook helicopter
AIR EXPERIENCE FLIGHTS
And what an experience! As a cadet you'll have the chance to fly with the best - RAF pilots.
Air Experience Flight (AEF) instructors are all current or former RAF service pilots who volunteer to pass on their knowledge and enthusiasm for flying to you. Flying takes place at one of 12 AEFs around the country, mainly at RAF stations. You're shown how the aircraft flies and given the chance to control it and experience aerobatics. And the views from 3,000ft are stunning.
Every air cadet gets the opportunity to have a flight each year. You'll join a long list of cadets going back over 50 years – including royalty - who have benefitted from this fantastic experience. The first AEFs were formed in 1958 and flew the classic DeHavilland Chipmunk which served faithfully for almost 40 years until it was replaced by the Scottish Aviation Bulldog.
Recently, it's the Grob Tutor that has become the aircraft of choice. It has great visibility from its large canopy and is agile enough to allow it to perform full aerobatics. You'll soon feel right at home in the Tutor and hungry for more flight time.
GET YOUR HEAD IN THE CLOUDS
There are plenty of opportunities for cadets to get in the air. Air Experience Flights could even see you take to the skies in a Grob Tutor light aircraft.
Stand out from the crowd and you could be put forward for an overseas flight on a Hercules, VC10 or Tri-star. If you’re really lucky you could even join a pilot in one of our fast-jet aircraft or experience the unbeatable exhilaration of a Red Arrows flight!
GO SOLO!
Show the necessary aptitude and you could be invited to progress to solo standard and even achieve your silver GS wings for flying solo!
It doesn't end there. If you're one of the best you could be invited, or apply, to become a Flight Staff Cadet. Training to a much higher level, your gold GS wings for Advanced Glider Training (AGT) await.
And if you make it that far, it won't have been easy. You'll have a real talent for flying.