Page 17 - Cadet Review Summer 2021

excused face covering on medical grounds).
Lastly, for the 14th May another two groups were
invited back to the Squadron for training: a new group studying the Air Cadet Presentation Skills programme and another group working towards their Instructor Cadet qualifications with the Methods of Instruction course – they had started before the Coronavirus pandemic hit and were picking up after more than a year’s interruption.
Squadron Commander Flight Lieutenant Peter Doubell reflected on the success of the return to face-to-face activity: "It is really good to see cadets coming together again, although we still have to be careful to comply with the coronavirus restrictions and observe strict social distancing which means we can't just open the doors and say to everyone, come
•
An informative presentation by the Squadron's ex-CWO Miles Gilroy on ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Recon- naissance) in the RAF
The Chaplain’s monthly Quiz, won by Aiden Booth (who received his prize on the following Friday evening)
An update on NASA Mars missions and SpaceX
A presentation by Warrant Officer Kelly on The Dangers of the Dark Web
A virtual meeting with another ex-CWO, Andrew Robinson, now a Corporal in the Royal Marine Commandos, who talked about training with the Marines and his daytime role as a trained marksman and showed cadets his own combat kit and the L85-A3 rifle
Work on Squadron
Itisso
gratifying
that we still
have such
a loyal and
committed • group of
cadets •
• •
on in. These are only small steps, but definitely in the right direction; we have now managed to meet with almost all our cadets - some of them for the first time, as they joined us during the lockdown period.
It is so gratifying that we still have such a loyal and committed group of cadets, who are now able to continue their training and development in the ‘real’ world."
Meanwhile the Squadron's Virtual Tuesday evening meetings continued alongside the more limited Physical Fridays, and topics for those session included:
to replace roof
CONTINUING ACTIVITY
IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD
Despite having met the requirements for authority
to open the Squadron for face-to-face activities,
the re-imposed state of national lockdown for the Coronavirus pandemic meant that for cadets and staff of 868 (Mirfield) Squadron any activity in the first few months of the year had to be kept to the ‘virtual’ world. Nevertheless, they kept themselves busy with their regular Virtual Meetings on Tuesday evenings.
Some of the highlight activities in the early weeks of 2021 included:
NATIONAL POLICE AIR SERVICE
With an engaging and informative presentation Sergeant Kate Hann explained about the NPAS: their aircraft, where they are based, some of the equipment on board and the incidents they attend.
In addition to helicopters they have four fixed-wing aircraft in the NPAS fleet
We were surprised and pleased to learn that the service hosted by West Yorkshire Police at their Carr Gate Complex near Wakefield, where they handle the despatch of aircraft nationally, also in addition to helicopters they have four fixed-wing aircraft in the NPAS fleet.
RADIO ACTIVITIES EVENING
The Squadron meeting was joined by the Wing Radio team and Flight Lieutenant Matthew Hillam led a fun and exciting session titled "Operation Air Strike".
The cadets were tasked with launching an airborne attack on an enemy airfield, featuring take-off from their home base, avoiding interception by enemy aircraft and finally making their attacks on the enemy airbase.
All good fun designed for the participants to practise the use of radio communication and the phonetic alphabet.
PANCAKES AND POTTERING IN PERU
Cadets and staff were joined by guests Gail and Michael Harrison, on Tuesday 16th March. They previously visited the Squadron in 2019, when they talked about their trek to the Everest Base Camp.
This time, their subject was a trip they had made, before the Coronavirus Pandemic struck, to South America: Pottering in Peru.
CADET REVIEW SUMMER 2021 17