Page 22 - Cadet review Summer 2022

CEY Wing ATC
YOUR NEXT
STEP, COULD IT
BE THE UAS?
By Officer Cadet Ela Richardson
I will never forget my time on 264 (Skipton) Squadron. During my four years on the squadron,
I was given so many great opportunities. Spending time with like-minded, ambitious people many of whom I am still close friends with today, helped me to develop as an individual. Air Cadets pushed me out of my comfort zone and is full of possibilities. From playing netball for the Wing to volunteering
at RIAT, I learnt a range of skills from teamwork
to communication. Throughout my time, I steadily progressed through the ranks to Cadet Sergeant where I was able to aid new recruits in learning drill and help other members of the Senior NCO team to plan parade nights, giving me leadership and organisational skills that will last me a lifetime.
Although there are similarities, Universities Air Squadrons differ from the Air Training Corps in a number of ways. The first being that to join the UAS selection is extremely competitive. For East Midlands Universities Air Squadron (EMUAS) on average there are 400 applications for 30 spaces! But don’t despair, the skills that you are taught in the Air Cadets are invaluable when it comes to applying for a place on the UAS.
Like Air Cadets, the UAS provides a wide range
of opportunities for you to get involved with from station visits to overseas expeditions. I was fortunate enough to have been selected to attend the ski trip this year in Les Contamines, France - one of my highlights of EMUAS so far! We were blessed with beautiful weather and enjoyed a week completing Ski Foundation 1 joined by members of other University Air Squadrons from all over the country. It truly
was an expedition to remember! Furthermore, in March I was able to visit the RAF Red Arrows at
RAF Scampton where we sat-in on their briefs and debriefs, in addition to watching them practice their sorties for their summer displays.
One of the recent pathways that has been introduced by UAS aims for its Officer Cadets to start Modular Initial Officer Training (MIOT) at Week
7. This enables you to skip the first six
weeks of training as you will
have already
I have thoroughly enjoyed this so far and
it makes
me more motivated and excited for my future!
completed it on the squadron! Throughout your time on the UAS there are certain courses you need to complete such as Fieldcraft and First Aid that then allow you to pass the first module. Those that have started at Week 7 have felt fully integrated into their course demonstrating the success of the scheme.
Flying is a large part of the UAS and each squadron has their own fleet of GROB Tutors. You are able to choose between two streams, flying and experience. I opted for the flying stream as in the future I would like to apply for pilot (when applications finally reopen!). This is essentially the same syllabus as Elementary Flying Training (EFT) and requires you to prepare for your sorties and learn your checks. I have thoroughly enjoyed this so far and it makes me more motivated and excited for my future!
Another important part of Squadron life is attending formal dinners and events. They give
us the opportunity to learn about the traditions of the RAF and meet current and former servicemen and women. But it’s not all serious! As university students we also hold social events within our cities such as paintballing and nights out.
Overall, I can confidently say that being a member of EMUAS has enriched my university experience so far. I would recommend everyone who has an interest in the RAF to carry out some research and apply to your local squadron when the time comes for you
to start university. Although the selection process
is tough, it truly is worth it and I look forward to the other opportunities that being on squadron will provide me with in the future!
Officer Cadets Henry
Smith, Eddie Brand and Ela Richardson
Members of EMUAS at
22 CADET REVIEW SPRING 2022
Members of EMUAS
enjoying a formal dinner
RAF Scampton with the Red Arrows