Flying and Gliding are the major activities in the ATC.
All qualified cadets are eligible to go for an Air Experience Flight. These flights are taken in the newest RAF aircraft the Grob Tutor at one of several Air Experience Flights (AEF�s) located throughout the UK.
Each AEF is staffed by a mixture of regular and retired RAF pilots, the AEF's are tasked with providing each cadet with one 20-minute flight per year, although in practice many cadets take to the skies far more often.
Left: A Grob Tutor instrument panel. When flying in the Tutor cadets are given the opportunity to take control of the aircraft and even to be involved in certain safe aerobatics to experience the thrill of flying.
The Grob Tutor has been is service since around 1999. There are two predecessors to the Tutor which are the Bulldog and the Chipmunk.
Left: The Bulldog was the previous aircraft to the Tutor and as you can see is very similar.
Right: The Chipmunk was the first aircraft brought in for AEF. this aircraft would sit one person in front and one person behind unlike the Bulldog and Tutor where you sit side by side to the pilot.
Gliding takes place at one of the Air Cadet Volunteer Gliding Schools located throughout the country.
The VGS operate 2 types of glider, the "Viking" which is winch launched and the "Vigilant" which is a motor glider.
Once qualified as a First class cadet they may undergo a Gliding Induction Course to check their suitability for further training. At 16 cadets are able to undergo Gliding Scholarship training, which can lead to them flying solo (before they can drive a car).
Some cadets are selected to go on and receive Advance Gliding Training and become part of the VGS, indeed some VGS have cadet instructors.
Above: A winch operated Viking glider. These gliders will be in the air in seconds and do not rely on any type of fuel. If the pilot of the glider can find thermals (pockets of warm air) then they can stay in the air for a long time.
Left: The view from the rear of a Viking glider. The red object on the wire is a parachute which will deploy once the wire is released from the glider.
When cadets go on RAF camps and visit RAF stations they can sometimes get the opportunity to fly in larger and faster aircraft. These opportunities are more rare but extremely welcome when they do come available.
Above: A Hercules transport aircraft.
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