Page 50 - Cadet Review Spring 2024

SWY Wing ATC
VISIT TO AVORD AIR BASE
By Cadet Flight Sergeant Joseph Doszczeczko
On the weekend commencing the 29th of September 2023 myself, nine other cadets and two members
of staff departed from East Midlands Airport at 0800hrs. Our aim being to further develop relations between the Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC) and our newly formed French counterpart, the Escadrilles Air Jeunesse (EAJ). After a short flight across the English Channel we arrived in Orly Airport, Paris. We were greeted by members of the French Air Force who drove us about 3 hours south of Paris to Avord Air Base, located near Bourges. Upon arrival at Avord we met our guides, Jerome and Julie, who would be escorting us for the weekend and were very welcoming. After a security briefing, we were shown to our accommodation which was an hotel located on the base.
That night we were invited to one of many soirees over the course of the weekend which was attended by lots of pilots who were flying in the airshow that weekend. To our surprise, the RAF Red Arrows were also in attendance and were happy to converse with us about what we were doing in France along with any questions we had. After a long day of travelling and socialising we were all more than happy to get a good night's sleep.
As part of our visit to Avord Air Base we were lucky enough to be part of a prestigious passing out parade for a group of new recruits from the EAJ. Formed up alongside our French counterparts we had the privilege to watch these French Air Cadets be inaugurated into their respective squadrons within the EAJ. With the Patrouille de France as a background, to be a part of the 10 UK Air Cadets representing the RAF and the UK was a massive honour. Continuing this into the VIP tent we presented the French Chief of Air Staff with a Glass RAFAC trophy and a South and West Yorkshire Wing King Charles III Coronation Coin, further cementing relations between the RAF and the Armée de l’Air.
We had the rest of the day to enjoy a lunch with the French Air Cadets, from as far away as Dijon and enjoy the air show. After the formalities and socialising had finished, we headed back to our accommodation to prepare our uniform for the evening.
In the evening, we attended another soirée for the event VIPs and aircrew. We boarded coaches from the crowd area, which drove us to a hangar
theRAF
Red Arrows were also in attendance and were happy to converse with us about what we were doing in France
further down the airfield. Inside the hangar looked incredible, it was decorated with national flags flanked by greenery at the entrance, with food and drink stalls on the outside spread against the walls. In the centre of the hangar were tables which we gathered around to talk.
We met with the French Air Cadets again, continuing prior conversations and discussing the similarities and differences between our organisations.
As the evening continued, we and our French counterparts travelled round the room, speaking with a range of people, from the RAF Red Arrows and Patrouille de France to the head engineer of the Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team. The event had live music played by a band and all the food was cooked in front of us by chefs; the food itself was a mixture of French classics and international food, and it was some of the best cooking I have ever had the pleasure of eating. As the evening continued and the sun dropped below the horizon, a French officer stood on the stage directing everybody to stand outside. Once we were outside and against a line of fencing, we could hear the Rafale jet aircraft launching down the runway and taking off towards the sunset. After repositioning for an overhead entrance, it completed a private display in front and to the side of us, completing what we all agreed was the best experience any of us have ever had at a cadet event, let alone an airshow.
On the Sunday morning, we headed over to the airfield for a private tour of the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) by Jerome and Julie. We also got to go through the crowd barrier to take
50 CADET REVIEW SPRING 2024