966 (Wallingford) Air Cadets

On Sunday 8th May, 7 cadets from 966 Squadron assisted at the Wallingford Vehicle Rally.  They helped marshal classic cars through Wallingford town for the parade and also helped out collecting money for SeeSaw, the principal charity at the event, a charity which supports bereaved children. The squadron also had a recruitment stand to try and attract young people to join the squadron, proving successful with a few potential cadets signing up. The car rally was a great opportunity for the cadets to reinforce the squadron’s image within the community and promote the activities that the Air Cadets offer, with Cpl Evans making an announcement over the public address system on the benefits of joining the ATC.  Cpl Godfrey said, ‘It was a great day out and got to meet lots of new people.’ Overall the day was a enjoyed by all.  

By Cdt Crook

On Saturday, 21st May 2011, 6 air cadets and 4 staff members from 966 (Wallingford) squadron took the challenge of going on an adventurous walk around Nuffield. They walked approximately 19Km in total and carried all the kit they would need for an overnight stay including food, water, clothes, sleeping bag and roll matt. Along the walk they mainly stuck to the footpaths, but encountered field and wooded areas, stiles and gates. The cadets’ map reading skills were put to the test to check they were staying on route and they used compasses to check that they were walking in the right direction.
Cpl Payne said “The best part was that we were helping Warrant Officer Barker and Cadet FS Ewers to pass their Basic Expedition Leaders Award so that we can go on many more of these fun filled walks. It was very enjoyable and helped test our skills for our upcoming silver Duke of Edinburgh walk in Dartmoor.  Cdt Woollard added “It was great fun, but very tiring. I look forward to doing more of these walks in the future!”

by Cpl Taylor

The traditional Wallingford Mayor’s Sunday Parade & Service was held this year on 5 June. Cadets from 966 Squadron took part alongside servicemen and women from RAF Benson. In addition, members of the RBL, ACF, and local Scouts, Guides and Brownies also took part in the march past.

Air cadet numbers were somewhat down this year due to pre-arranged flying and supplementary drill commitments but nevertheless the Squadron turned out a credible number of 11 cadets.

Members of Wallingford Town Council were in attendance as the Mayor, Colin Dalton, along with the Commander of RAF Benson, Group Captain Richard Mason took the salute. This was then followed by a service at the church of St Mary-le-More and a reception at the Regal Centre.

This occasion was also the first official engagement of 966 Sqn’s Flight Sergeant Ewers in his new appointment as this year’s Mayor’s Cadet.

By CI Rose

A number of cadets attended the Royal British Legion Awards on  Thursday 26 May.  Having been thoroughly grilled by members of the RBL a few weeks previously, FS Ewers and Cpl Godfrey were aware that they were contenders for Cadet of the Year. In the end, because of the high standard, the judges couldn’t decide who should get the Cadet of the Year award, so it was presented jointly to FS Ewers and Cpl Godfrey for services to the community and 966 Squadron.  Various other awards were presented to members of the Legion and the Army Cadet Force. Congratulations to both for an outstanding performance!

Following the awards there were two presentations by Flt Lts from RAF Benson.  The first presentation was by a Puma helicopter pilot who described the helicopter, the role it played in Iraq and the way training is carried out in Kenya.  He also said the Puma was being updated as it is 40 years old this year and interestingly he informed us the original Puma engine type is the same as used in the original French high speed train.

The second presentation was by a Merlin pilot who focused on the differences between  the Merlin and the Puma. These were mainly in technology as the Merlin is only 10 years old.  He then went on to describe the many different roles the helicopter plays in Afghanistan.  He finished with a film of a typical day of a Merlin helicopter pilot in Afghanistan.

After the presentations there was a buffet put on by the RBL during which a number of air cadets took the opportunity to question the two helicopter pilots about their jobs.

Finally, the Chairman thanked the air cadets for coming to the presentation and congratulated them on their smart turnout.

By Cpl Evans & Off Cdt Lee

The Squadron’s last CO’s parade was Flt Lt Norcross’s last night as OC 966, and indeed his last night as an RAFVR(T) Officer in the UK, as he was moving to New Zealand!

Flt Lt Norcross presented a number of cadets with awards, made a number of promotions (listed below) and made a leaving speech to members of the Squadron. He was presented with a card from the cadets, a cookie cake and a Squadron t-shirt from FS Whiteside, and the staff also signed a card for him. He then formally handed over control of the Squadron to the incoming CO, Flt Lt Churnside, a long-serving Officer with 966 Squadron.

Promotions made:

CI Lee also recently passed her wing and region boards for Commission and is now in uniform as the Squadron’s Plt Off.

By Off Cdt Lee

On Thursday 5th May, cadets showed off their squadron in the most recent annual inspection conducted by the Wing Executive Officer, Sqn Ldr Haines, and the Wing Warrant Officer, WO Lambert.

During the course of the evening, cadets took part in an inspection, followed by an opportunity to impress the inspectors with their drill. After a short break, cadets faced a quiz about the ATC and the RAF. The three cadet groups took on the single staff group in a “battle of the minds”. One of the cadets said “it was an extremely fun night and all the cadets had a lot of fun.” The cadets were all very proud of what was achieved and were extremely happy when one of the inspectors said that we were a great squadron and had the potential to become even better. The Wing Warrant Officer was very pleased with the amount of girls on the squadron and hoped to see a female team for the drill competition.