Once again the rural lands of Berkshire were transformed into a recruitment hunting ground as 2402 (Burghfield) Squadron went on the trail for new cadets.

The key behind the recruitment was the establishment of a key pitch at the Burghfield May Fayre, the Squadron being complimented for having presented a highly organised and professional display. This display was made up of a variety of key aspects including display boards, the Wing Recruitment gazebo and, in pride of place, the Wing aerospace platform (the WASP) which attracted many young enthusiasts who wanted to fly the simulator and were subsequently introduced to the variety of activities and opportunities that the Air Training Corps provides. Continue reading →

2402 Burghfield and 1996 Earley Squadron once more ventured into the early morning light to support Parkinson’s disease Research. A total of 14 cadets and 3 members of staff were on hand to provide marshalling support for the Parkinson’s UK Run Highclere event at Highclere Castle, the main setting for the ITV period drama Downton Abbey.

The cadet assistance was provided by Flt Lt Paul Beardwood of 2402 (Burghfield) Squadron and Flt Lt Julie Alexander of 1996 (Earley) Squadron who offered their assistance to Parkinson’s UK. Continue reading →

Flt Lt Mary Houghton, Squadron Commander of 2211 (Bracknell) Squadron, received a commendation during surprise visit as the Squadron was preparing to move to Longmoor Training Camp for a weekend exercise.

Flt Lt Houghton was awarded a Regional Commandants Commendation for her work at various Squadrons within Thames Valley Wing as well as her support to the Wing’s successful RAF Camp programme.  Continue reading →

Just as you thought Burghfield squadron had gone into hibernation for the winter.

Cadets of 2402 broke the early light to venture to the Madejski stadium in Reading to run and organise the first kit tent for the first 6000 half marathon runners on Sunday 17th March. With pride and enthusiasm as never before they worked through drilling rain and penetrating cold to: Receive, Organise, Store, Guard and Return over 5,500 pieces of personal equipment in record time. Continue reading →

Having experienced the delights of a mornings flying with 2 AEF at RAF Benson, a group of cadets had the added bonus of a sneak visit to see the air ambulance helicopter.

Arranged by Warrant officer Dan Twigg, the accompanying officer on the day, the cadets from 1116 (Woodley), 2402 (Burghfield) and 2403 (Aldermaston) Squadrons were surprised when it was announced that they would be going to look around the helicopter. Continue reading →

In a surprise result, the cadets of 2211 (Bracknell) Squadron have won the Thames Valley Wing Activity Day held at Edward Brooks Barrack from a strong field of 287 cadets from right across the Thames Valley.

Bracknell secured the win by a strong performance across all the categories – Foot Drill, Banner Drill, Aviation Art, Aeromodelling, Photography, Media Skills, Aircraft Recognition, Flights of Fancy and Map Making. Runners up were 1996 (Earley) Squadron followed by 211 (Newbury) Squadron and 381 (Reading) Squadron. The overall drill winners were favourites 1116 (Wodley) Squadron who now go forward to the Regional Activity Day. Continue reading →

Waking up at 6am isn’t the usual Sunday morning for a teenager, but the cadets from Slough squadron were up for the challenge of Wing Activities Day. Ready to compete, we arrived at Edward Brooks Barracks prepared to engage in the competitive spirit of Thames Valley Wing. As Slough squadron’s team captain, Sergeant Pusey was already motivating the cadets: “This is a great opportunity to boost the confidence of three of our new cadets.” The new cadets at Slough squadron had been preparing and training for this opportunity to demonstrate how much they have improved over recent months, and were excited to participate. Continue reading →

The annual Inter Squadron Swimming Competition was held recently at Temple Cowley Pool and saw 21 Squadrons from across Oxfordshire and Berkshire in fierce battle for the awards on offer.

The competition itself was spread across four classes (Junior Boys, Senior Boys, Junior Girls and Senior Girls) and comprised both individual and team events in all four main disciplines, namely Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Freestyle. In addition there were further categories including the individual medley, one cadet completing all four strokes in one race, the medley relay (4 cadets 4 strokes) and the freestyle relay (4 cadets any stroke). Continue reading →

What do you get if you take 100 Air Cadets, a confidence course, the RAF Outreach Team and a choice of field craft training areas – well you get the most successful  greens camp offered by Thames Valley Wing to date!

The camp, now in its third year at Pirbright Camp in Surrey, was aimed at the Wing’s younger cadets with a three day “Blue Phase” which was followed by a two day “Green Phase” field craft exercise.  Also in the mix were a VIP engagement day and a myriad of evening social activity. Continue reading →

Cadets from Thames Valley Wing have been putting themselves in the news at their first weeklong Media Camp held at Pirbright Camp in Surrey.

The cadets learnt lots of new skills including photography, copy writing, newsletters, film making and presentation skills during the week as they provided media cover for the Wing’s annual greens camp. Continue reading →