2524 (Oakington) Squadron

2524 (Oakington) Squadron is, contrary to its name, located in the Cambridgeshire village of Longstanton. Situated in the formed RAF Oakington Navy, Army and Air Force Institute (NAAFI) shop, the squadron shares the building with the Longstanton Detachment of the Army Cadet Force.

A typical parade night starts with some drill practice. Drill is an important part of cadet life as it instils a sense of self-discipline in the cadets. The majority of the evening is spent on activities such as projects, lectures, fieldcraft and initiative exercises.

Lectures and projects are in integral part of the cadet syllabus, through which cadets are able to attain a BTEC in Aviation Studies. Lectures cover a variety of aviation related subjects, while projects can encompass a wide variety of areas. Currently the projects that are being run on the squadron are the Communicators Badge, First Aid and Media and Communications. For more information on classifications and the cadet syllabus see here.

In addition to parade night activities, there are a wide variety of activities available at the weekends. Click here for more information on the activities available.

The Air Training Corps

The Air Cadet Organization (ACO) is a national youth organization sponsored by the Royal Air Force in the UK. Membership is open to young people aged between 13 and 22 years, inclusive.

The ACO comprises:

Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force (RAF)

The ATC and CCF(RAF) share many similarities but there are a number of differences in structure, training programmes, recruitment etc. You will be able to find specific information about each of these by clicking their respective Crests throughout this site. The Aims of the Air Cadet Organization are:

The "Air Cadets" provides the opportunity for members to take part in a huge and diverse range of exciting and challenging activities. Many are organized at National and Regional level, many others take place locally at Wing and Squadron levels.

If your interest is in Flying, Sports, Adventure Training, Camping, Engineering, Shooting, Drill, Music, Watersports, Abseiling, Overseas Travel. (the list is a VERY long one!) you will find out about these and much more by looking around this site - they are all activities provided by the ATC and CCF(RAF).

Many of the competitive elements could see you competing at International level. There is also a very important social aspect too - you will get to meet and make a lot of new friends.
The ACO develops personal qualities and a sense of community and citizenship valued by employers, both military and civil.

As a Cadet you will discover this is great FUN!!

A very large percentage of serving members of the Royal Air Force were air cadets. Although the ACO is not a recruiting organization, 41% of Officer and 51% of all Aircrew (including pilots, navigators, air electronics operators, air engineers and air loadmasters) recruits into the Royal Air Force are ex-air cadets. If you are looking for a Service career, membership will help give you a head start. Research has shown that ex-cadets do better in basic training and stay in the Service longer than their colleagues without the benefit of cadet membership.
The greater success rates and contribution towards recruitment, along with the personnel support role (eg at airshows etc) save the Royal Air Force an estimated ?11.1m per year.