Page 26 - Cadet Review Autumn 2024

CEY Wing ATC
INTERNATIONAL AIR CADET EXCHANGE TO AUSTRALIA
(AND PART TWO OF THE WORLD TOUR)
By Cadet Warrant Officer Louis Byrne
From the 7th to the 24th of July myself and six other British cadets experienced the privilege of travelling to eastern Australia on the International Air Cadet Exchange.
As with other Corps level events, this trip gave me the opportunity to meet cadets from each region who have similar interests to myself, and who had completed a wide variety of courses available within the RAFAC including Junior Leaders, Instructor First Aid and three Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadets. Spending this time with them allowed me to learn more about different aspects of the Corps and build friendships which will hopefully last a lifetime.
What set IACE apart from any event that I have completed before, was the ability for us to mix with cadets and like-minded individuals from all around the world. On my particular exchange, there were cadets from the United Kingdom, USA, New Zealand, Belgium, the Netherlands, and some escorting staff cadets from Australia. I found it absolutely incredible to learn about the similarities and differences between the different cadet forces and the roles which cadets play in relation to regular forces, even something as simple as the different way the same drill command is given.
Not only did I have the opportunity to learn about the differences between cadet forces, but I am also able to learn and receive first-hand accounts of the culture in different countries from the cadets. Some major differences I found were between the education systems, and driving laws.
We began the trip in Brisbane and its surrounding areas, staying at a large cadet compound called Shapcott. The first night we met the exchange staff and introduced ourselves to the other cadets, before an early night ready for a busy two weeks! Although the requirement to be up and ready for breakfast
at 0545 initially seemed daunting to us all, because we did this, we were able to have long days full of multiple activities which was incredibly beneficial. Some notable activities in Brisbane were our visit
to Australia Zoo, where we got to see native wildlife and visit a show at the famous “Crocoseum”; a tour of RAAF Amberly, visiting a logistics squadron which had camels as mascots, and a fast jet squadron where we saw the aircraft take off and heard
all about the life of a pilot; and a visit to Aviation Australia, where we had a tour of their facilities and were allowed to use their industry standard flight simulators.
After a 2 hour flight from RAAF Amberly in a C27J-Spartan aircraft, we arrived in the Australian capital, Canberra. The first thing I noticed was
the distinct change in temperature compared to Brisbane. Although it was winter, Brisbane had
Not only did
I have the opportunity
to learn
about the differences between cadet forces, but I am also able to learn and receive first- hand accounts of the culture in different countries from the cadets.
been very hot, Canberra certainly proved that it was indeed winter, as the temperature was similar to a cold spring morning in the UK throughout our time there. Some highlights of Canberra included visiting the Australian War Memorial, where we witnessed the last post ceremony and toured the exhibits, a hike up Mount Ainslee to see the view of Canberra, and then another trip up in the bus in the evening to see the view at night. While in Canberra we also had the privilege of visiting the Duntroon officers mess at
the Australian Defence College for a formal dinner with the Director General of the Air Cadets, and many other notable individuals. On my table there was a Royal Navy Lieutenant from the British Embassy who we were able to ask questions and chat with.
As a special bonus, following his trip to the Falkland Islands in February, the mascot from 886 (Ripon) Squadron, Cadet Oinky, also joined me, and added to his tally of Air Miles and different aircraft.
The final city we visited was Sydney, where we toured the Opera House, the Blue mountains and also had the opportunity to have two free days in the city to round off the exchange. Both the Opera House and the Mountains were absolutely stunning, and the many photos which I took fail to do them justice. I found the tours incredibly interesting, for example did you know that the Opera House has over one million tiles, and is designed to reflect light to mimic the water on a sunny day; there are also over 2000 events performed there every year, that is over 5 every single day of the year!
Overall, this trip has been another truly once in a lifetime experience which I have had the absolute privilege of being a part of during my cadet career; I have made friends for life from all around the world and memories which I will never forget. If you are ever considering applying to IACE, do it! It is an absolutely incredible opportunity which I cannot thank the Corps enough for allowing me to attend.
26 CADET REVIEW AUTUMN 2024