Last week I went to RAF Odiham with Air Cadets on a summer camp. RAF Odiham is in Hampshire and it’s where the Chinook helicopter is based. On Saturday, 26th June I caught a bus from the Pear Tree Roundabout in Oxford where we travelled to RAF Odiham picking people up along the way. When we arrived we met the people we were going to be sharing a tent with for the rest of the week.

We had a fantastic and action packed week, we were taken to RAF Benson and looked around the Puma and Merlin helicopters and were also taken to RAF Brize Norton where we looked around the C-17, a huge cargo plane that takes troops and supplies to war torn countries.

One evening we spent in the Fire Section where we were taught how to make a Fireman’s Shower, this is when they make an outdoor shower out of pipes that blast water from all directions to clear off chemicals that may have been picked up inside a burning building, at the end of the evening we got to have a go with all the equipment, which was great fun and we all ended up soaking wet!

We also visited the RAF dog handling section, the air traffic control tower, practiced shooting at the station’s shooting range, had a trip to see HMS Victory, and one evening we went Go-Karting.

For me there were two highlights of the week, the first was when we were taken for a flight in the Chinook helicopter and the second was when the Red Arrows flew over the base in formation, did a mini display, then landed and we were able to go over and look inside the planes and talk to the pilots.

By Cdt Graham

Camps with the Air Cadets are always worth attending. Cpl Thompson and Cdt Evans went on a Summer Camp to RAF High Wycombe with various other Squadron for a week. They wrote a brief report on their experiences:

We met more friends and tried out new activities. We participated in a low ropes course which was challenging and we went canoeing and some of us even ended up capsizing in the boats, which was great fun. We practiced drill most evenings in preparation for a drill competition, which at the same time improved our personal drill.

Cpl Thompson said- “It was awesome, I made loads of new friends and really enjoyed myself”.

Overall, this year’s annual Summer Camp was a great success.