Flying Fun
Over the year there have been several Tenby air cadets flying at MOD St Athan, near Cardiff. Four cadets achieved their Blue Wings! They were shown how to take control of the aircraft and how the control inputs affect the aircraft in flight, with one of the cadets doing aerobatics on his second flight. Cdt J Handley said “The trip to St Athan was an amazing experience, we got a presentation on the controls of the aircraft which we got to see in full effect later on in the plane where we did banked turns and a full loop.”
Cadets on Camp
In the summer two cadets, Cpl X Viggars and Cdt L Siphika attended Summer Camp at RAF Valley in Anglesey, which is where HRH Prince William used to work when he was a Search & Rescue pilot in the RAF. The cadets there had a varied and interesting time, with activities such as visiting the Fire Station and learning about the life-saving equipment that is used by the fire service. The cadets then raced to roll out some fire hose, use it to spray the other team before racing to put it back again. Later on, the cadets went gorge walking which is a combined water/rock activity, where cadets overcame their doubts before jumping in feet first.
The Squadron’s Officer Commanding, Sergeant D Folder RAFAC, went to Germany to form part of the staff team at Sennelager Training Facility. An adventure training camp that allowed cadets to spend two days with the British Army learning how to sail, kayak, canoe and all other sorts of water-based activities on the Möhne dam, which is where the famous Dambusters raid took place. The cadets also took part in a demonstration by the bomb disposal team, where cadets had to search an area for different types of concealed explosives.
“Being part of the staff team delivering the activities to the cadets was an exciting experience. There was a cadet who, at first, was very worried about the water-based activities, but through guidance and reassurance came out of the lake after a full day with a big smile on their face,” Sgt Folder commented. “It’s one of the reasons I became part of the staff team, to help people overcome their doubts and have a brilliant time.”
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
The RAFAC is the largest participant in the Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) scheme. By heavily subsidising the award, it could cost a cadet as little as £1! There are four sections of the DofE Award, each designed to inspire, guide and support young people in their self-development, and recognise their achievements. The first section is volunteering and with the air cadets, there’s always something to do.
They started the year with a beach clean on Tenby South Beach, when cadets and staff braved the freezing March weather with a wind-chill temperature of -3oC!
Starting at Penally train station, the cadets made their way down onto beach and collected rubbish until the South Beach car park. Nine bags of rubbish were collected! Well done to everyone for making the local environment cleaner and much more aesthetically pleasing for everyone.
A very successful fundraising bingo evening was organised solely by Cdt A Flynn. Cdt Flynn managed to raise a massive £575 for the squadron, her hard work, organisational skills and determination were above and beyond her rank, which shows by the amount she raised. Held at the ROAB Club in Kilgetty, lots of people attended, with the top prize being a flying lesson from Fly Wales, Haverfordwest. “It was a really good night, we made a good amount of money for cadets with a big range of prizes! I would like to thank Sgt Folder for his help and all the cadets that came to help me on the night, as well as Mel for use of the club and the Buffs for their cheque.” Well done to Cdt Flynn!
The cadets attended another fundraising event, this time a coffee morning in St. Mary’s Church Hall in Tenby. Organised by Rev. Robb Wainwright, the event raised a brilliant £294.25. The cadets helped to serve hot drinks, talked to the public about what they do as cadets and after all that cleared away all the mess. All the while they presented themselves well and the staff team received many compliments about the uniform and turnout of the cadets.
The monies raised from events such as these goes towards buying equipment for the DofE’s expedition, which the cadets will be taking part in when the season improves. This includes things such as rucksacks, tents, Trangia cookers, rations etc.
Money will also be directed to buying resources for leadership and followership exercises where the cadets get to take charge of a small group of people to overcome a common goal. Cadets are taught on how to give a SMEAC briefing as well as building on their teamwork skills, learning how to be a useful member of a team.
Four cadets, Cdt Cpl X Viggars, Cdts J Handley, T Sanders and L Siphika, have passed this and are now looking forward to completing the Bronze level of their DofE. The award encourages teamwork and social interaction, helping young people to stand out from the crowd when applying for university and jobs.
Remembrance Services
The Air Cadets paraded at the local service of remembrance, the biggest turnout of air cadets at the parade in several years. The new squadron standard was paraded for the first time on the 100-year anniversary of the Armistice, being carried by Cpl X Viggars, who, after very little training, composed herself well and carried the standard with grace and precision. When asked about carrying the standard ,Cpl Viggars responded: “It was a great opportunity and an honour to carry the standard, a fun experience that I highly enjoyed.”
Sgt D Folder RAFAC carried the national standard of the Royal British Legion at the Royal Albert Hall for the National Festival of Remembrance, the second time he had done so at this event. Sgt Folder could be seen laying his standard on the Drumhead Altar. The Drumhead Altar stems from military tradition, where they form and symbolise an altar in the field, as the colours or standards are blessed, and have the same religious significance as an altar cloth.
Future Plans
Tenby cadets are taking part in inter-squadron activities with cadets from Haverfordwest, Pembroke Dock and Whitland squadrons. The activities shared so far have been beach sports, bowling and an introduction to the British Border Force and what they do to keep the borders under control. Tenby Squadron is looking forward to working with other squadrons
With an exciting and diverse training programme, Tenby cadets are looking forward to activities such as extra sports. With swimming competency, football, netball, badminton and much more, it’s a great way to complete the physical section of the DofE award!
Tenby Air Cadets are always looking for new avenues to go down, with the potential of getting the cadets to become Digital Heroes. The staff team are looking forward to working with Digital Communication Wales helping the 15 per cent of Welsh adults who are not online stay connected, find employment and learn skill. Again, this will go towards the volunteering section of the DofE award.
New Opening Hours
Tenby Air Cadets now parade twice a week, on Tuesdays 7 - 9.30 pm and on Thursdays 7 - 9 pm.
You can find the Squadron at the end of Tenby train station car park. There is a red aircraft in our grounds to help you spot us easily.
Join Us!
If you’re a fan of aviation, action and adventure, love sports and getting to know people, then you’re in the right place. Every year nearly 56,000 air cadets and volunteer staff take part in exciting events all over the country. With your local squadron in Tenby, you could be one of them!
Aside from flying, sports (don’t worry, you don’t have to be sporty to join in!), target shooting, adventure training and great fun, you’ll soon find that being an air cadet is its own reward - you constantly see the benefits of your own efforts, building on your achievements and earning BTECs and DofE Awards. You’ll be expected to take part in as many of the activities we run as possible, but with what’s on offer, you won’t need much persuading!
Why not come and find out for yourself? Just come along to one of our parade evenings (bring your friends, parents or guardians) and see if you like it - you don’t have to join, but at least check out what you might be missing.
If you’re aged between 12 and 17 and you’re interested in joining Tenby Sqn, then contact Sgt D Folder RAFAC on [email protected] or on 01646 651 635.
The organisation cannot run without adult help. If you’re aged 20-plus and are interested in how you can help us; how we can help you, contact or visit the above information and we will tell you exactly what being in the ACO is all about.
Gold Star
Earlier in the year, Tenby Air Cadets were awarded a Gold Star for their Health, Safety and Environment! This means that a positive and proactive attitude towards HS&E duties was, and still is, demonstrated. The staff team work very hard behind the scenes to ensure that all the activities that cadets take part in are fun, test the cadets’ boundaries, help them to learn and grow, but are ultimately safe!
Cadets on Facebook
You could also follow Tenby Cadets on Facebook at www.facebook.com/1284RAFAC to see what the squadron is achieving.
Don’t be shy about taking that first step - it may be the best thing you’ve ever done. Go for it!
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