One thing I shan’t miss about being at St Mawgan is the wind noise made by a gentle breeze outside the window of my room. I was messed in Shackleton block and the windows and walls are designed in such a way as to maximise the view and privacy along with the area of the room. It was quite clever. However after the first night I soon realised the error in the design.
The wind noise was terrible.
Shackleton Block – poor design
I had thought that this was just because the wind was in a particular direction but, no, it was noisy every day, even with very little wind.
Now, this is Cornwall, close to the sea and atop a hill. So it was rarely wind-less. The howling did not do much to help my tiredness and general lack of rest. It was quite annoying.
I recently returned from spending a week at RAF St Mawgan [EGHQ] in the wonderful countryside of Cornwall. We were booked onto camp with three other schools, one of which was from Northern Ireland. It was a very good week and extremely enjoyable. I do, however, think that I wasn’t quite my normal self as I was still tired from the last year. I didn’t really stop at Easter because of the Cyprus camp and so hadn’t really had any time to rest.
RAF St Mawgan – Vigila
During the week the following experiences were offered:
Waterpark (not really, a bad description really, but most pale when you’ve been to the one in Ayia Napa)
CPR training
Camp photo
Survival Equipment Section Visit
Coasteering
Command Tasks
Laser Tag and field craft lessons
25m range with the L98A2
Much cleaning of the block
Of all this the coasteering was my favourite and I shall add photos when I get hold of them. I was in the water and so didn’t have any electronic recording equipment on me. Jumping from rocks into the sea was great. Traversing the cliff face and then swimming through a water ridden cave was absolutely brilliant, the highlight of my week.
There was also an unfortunate incident where a teddy bear was kidnapped by the TLA and taken hostage. This was hilarious, but you probably had to be there.
I also met my first ever known libertarian, who was also quite religious. I suspect that most libertarians are religious because everything gets sorted out in the end. He and I had some lovely conversations and managed to stay within a framework of respect.
It’s funny how I never meet anyone with the same taste in music as I have. This camp proved interesting because someone else there had heard of the bands Front242, the Revolting Cocks and also VNV Nation and Combichrist.
The joy of meeting someone who understands Nitzer Ebb and Front 242.
Well, that was a busy week. Even the bonus of sleeping in my own bed for most of it didn’t really help!
So, back to the beginning. We traditionally have a cadet camp around this time and spend a week on an air force base doing loads of lovely stuff. The RAF couldn’t accommodate us when the school expects us to go so we organised our own things.
Our plan was to have day trips locally along with an overnight at Wittering before a day of Air Experience Flying. We looked into visiting many places and the programme was quite fluid until the last moment but we succeeded in delivering a great experience for the cadets.
Climbing Wall
Day One was spent at the Swattenden Centre near Cranbrook and we had the climbing wall, low ropes / assault course, a raft building challenge and the telegraph pole of hell. It was a hot day. In fact, everyday was hot. We were quite lucky with all the dry weather.
The second day we visited St Martin’s Plain near Folkestone. We had all day inside the DCCT building along with cadets learning how to cook ration packs. Kent Police came to visit and showed us all their armed response weapons from the BMW X5.
Middle of the week and we had numerous visits planned: a few hours at IWM Duxford, a few hours at the RAF Regiment Heritage Centre and then on to RAF Wittering to overnight there.
As we were approaching the Duxford exit of the M11 two Mustangs flew overhead in formation. They then proceeded to practice their display for the weekend airshow. It was incredibly impressive and great fun to see. If nothing else exciting happened all week this would have made the week worthwhile.
Duxford Flight Line
After a while to soak up the rays at Duxford we drove to RAF Honington to visit the RAF Regiment Heritage Centre. This was particularly interesting and there was a lot of pretty impressive kit on display. We even managed to bump into the Station Commander and SWO. They gave us permission to have a photo taken at the gate guardian, which we duly did.
Buccaneer – RAF Honington
After time looking and playing with kit we drove to RAF Wittering and booked into our accommodation for the night. The showers here were very welcome as spending four hours driving a minibus with no air conditioning took its toll. We had a lovely evening meal in Stamford at the London Inn.
Our original plan was for a day’s worth of AEF with No.5 AEF but this failed for reasons that we don’t know. Fortunately, and with good contacts, we managed to see 5131 Sqn, the Harrier Heritage Centre and then spend a few hours with the Fire Section next to the runway.
Schmokin’
The firemen a great at showing off and also managed to effectively cool us down on this baking day.
Squirty Stuff and me
5131 had some curious stuff including this:
Bucket Of Sunshine
Finally, we reached Friday and we had sorted out some rocketry for all to enjoy. The morning was spent building the rockets and lessons on the physics and then we flew the masterpieces in the afternoon.
Launching Rockets
Overall this was a good week. Not quite as good as a proper camp, but we did well and I am pretty sure everyone had a really good time.
While in Cyprus I sustained a terrible injury. On the day we went to the reservoir to take part in some dragon boating I clambered up the banking to get a better vantage point for photographs.
Plants
Once it was decided that the safety equipment wasn’t good enough I had to descend the embankment, which I did with much grace and poise. I did, however, happen to place my hand down on a local plant with thorns.
These thorns punctured my skin and have left marks. This is bad form.
Bloody Marks
The marks are still there about a month after the event. Am I concerned? No. Should I be concerned? I doubt it. They’ll go away, especially after the amount of homoeopathic arnica I took last week during a class information session on homoeopathy [sarcasm intended, although I really did take loads of pillules].
I spent a great ten days on the island of Cyprus over the Easter break. It was a cadet camp and there were 56 cadets and associated staff. We stayed at Troodos and ventured out from there to undertake various activities some of which are listed below.
Approaching Larnaca
Saturday
Those travelling from Heathrow met inside T5 on the Saturday morning. The group were herded together and then we passaged through check-in, security and passport control. Reasonably soon we were on the flight to Larnaca airport. After arriving in Cyprus we had food delivered to us and we boarded a coach to Troodos. There were various meetings and briefings and these completed the day.
Sunday
The morning started with breakfast, but from now we will take that as a constant, I’m not going to mention it every time. If I did you may begin to think I am obsessed with food. We had briefings about some local issues and then drove down to the coast to get lunch once there. It’s about an hour’s drive to the coast from Troodos. The roads are very nice and the towns and villages along the way are small. I had a massive hayfever attack on the way down the hill, my eyes streamed for about an hour and it was only after spending some time in an air-conditioned building did it start to clear. My head felt as though I had been crying for hours. Fortunately this was the only time it happened.
After lunch on base we went to develop the leadership and initiative skills of the cadets. We were working in an area overlooking Lemesos bay and the weather was a little blowy but still warm.
Cyprus – a view
We then went to have the official camp photograph taken and drove back up the hill. The cadets then did some contract setting exercises in the sports hall.
Gate Guardian
Monday
First thing we visited the guardroom and had a talk from the chaps there. They explained their careers and the equipment they used. After that I had to get to the transport place and sign documents allowing me to drive the vehicles. This was on the coast so we drove down with one of the main camp staff. Because we were already on the coast we had tea and collected some lovely rolls from Lady L’s tea bar.
Clay pigeon shooting was next on the agenda and we did this at the Egg Club on a slightly different bit of the coast. There was some alarm when a dog walker appeared over the top of the range and whistles were blown to stop the shooting. The man’s dog had run into the clay pigeon area and had to be retrieved before the competition could start again.
Danger Flag
After we had driven back up the hill I managed to get to the gym. It was very nice as the view from the running machine looked out over the valleys from close to the mountain top.
Tuesday
Our morning session was for swimming tests at Episkopi swimming pool. We also had a demonstration of life rafts and survival equipment from a member of staff who used to be a Survival Equipment specialist.
Swimming Pool
It’s always nice to have a cup of tea and we managed a quick one just before lunch in the tea room at Episkopi. We also looked around the Officers’ Mess and saw plenty of their memorabilia.
Waterloo Colours
During the afternoon there was a round robin of activities and I was stationed inside the DCCT building, helping out and keeping score. It was good fun.
We drove to the south peninsula and, after dinner, the cadets went to the cinema and as I had already seen Logan I offered to not be in the cinema. This was granted and a few of us went bowling not that far away. I won, which was pleasing!
Obviously after that we had to drive back up the hill.
Wednesday
We had an early breakfast and heading straight away to the coast to see the dog section. Immediately after that we saw some other areas close to the airfield near the olive harvest. A quick trip to some S-61 helicopters and it was off to watch explosive demonstrations right out on the tip of the island.
Lunch was at the beach club although the weather wasn’t great. It was windy and quite cool. I had a baguette and chocolate.
Palm Trees
The afternoon meant we had more chats from the EOD guys and played a bit with the robots. It rained while there, I sheltered in the bus. The harbour looked exactly as it had 29 years ago when I was last there!
Bomb Disposal Anyone?
We had a brief from the station and spent a little more time with the S-61 helicopters. I got to sit in the cockpit which is always enjoyable. Before heading to Sylvana’s for dinner and traditional Greek dancing we spent a little time in the shade of rotor blades.
The meal at Sylvana’s was great, there was way too much food. The dancing was enjoyable and watching someone move around with 12 glasses balanced on his head was a highlight. Seedy had a little initiation while here.
Thursday
High ropes tend to be dangerous when there is a chance of thunder and lightning so that was canned. So we played dodgeball instead. Good fun and all kids seem to know the ADAA rules. Because we skipped the ropes we had a little while to catch a coffee in the mall the other side of the plantation.
On our return to the coast we visited the rescue helicopters of 84 Sqn while an aircraft did some practice landings not far away from us.
Griffin
There is a small chance that I may have flown in the gate guardian for the rescue helicopter as I definitely had a flight in a Wessex when I was last in Cyprus!
Wessex
After the midday meal we visited the Met Office, ATC and the fire section. A voyager landed while we were there. It’s a lovely aircraft.
Voyager – reverse thrust
We then had another briefing about Operation Shader and then we saw a large version of Heracles, the Greek divine hero.
The runway was quite busy that evening. The cadets went bowling and we ate pizza for tea. Another drive up the hill was required before bed.
Friday
Laser tag and target shooting with paintballs was on the menu this morning.
Mountains
The views across the mountains were lovely from the Adventure Park. Lunch was a nice roll with bacon and cheese, served with chips. We had to cancel the dragon boating for safety concerns and went again to the beach club where we had a BBQ for dinner. A few of us staff played Cards Against Humanity for about twenty minutes and they were moments of sheer joy and delight at how bad-taste we could be.
My Ride
After food the cadets and some staff, me included, took part in a bush-tucker trial. I am glad it provided amusement. It wasn’t very tasty and the gherkin nearly made me throw up. I had eaten quite a large quantity of BBQ though!
The runway was again quite busy that evening. We returned up the hill.
Saturday
After a slight lay-in we sauntered to Agia Napa to spend time at the water park there. I think we had about four hours and I went on most of the slides with Vicki. It was quite a laugh and I was also pleased that I didn’t get sun burnt. I hate sun tan lotion and I hate burning. This means I spend a lot of time in the shade. I can still get burnt from the reflected sun light though! Sensitive skin, me.
Standard View
On the way along the motorway my phone logged in with a Turkish cell tower. EE text me to say “Welcome to Turkey” and then promptly charged me a fiver for using a little bit of data in those few miles. Bugger.
For dinner we went to the Lady’s Mile restaurant which required driving along a sand road. Lovely.
Lemesos
The weather was good. The food was great.
Food
The kids had a disco. I had a whiskey. Obviously I didn’t drive back up the hill that night. There was more runway traffic heading off into the night sky.
Sunday
Who can resist a day on a party boat on the Med? We took the bus down to Pafos to get on the Wave Dancer 1 boat. This took us, in just under a 2 hour rocky ride, to Lara Bay. I had a walk along the rocks with excellent company and then went swimming in the sea.
Head
Lunch was served shortly after leaving Lara Bay.
Beach Walk
The boat [or ship or whatever] headed to Coral Bay where we had an acrobatic display on the gently swaying ship. Two chaps were entertaining us while motoring with some classic rock songs. The bar was free. I drank coke and coffee.
A Wreck
Deep Blue
St George Island
Pafos Harbour
Jumping off the front ramp into the Med was great fun and I did it a few times. After returning to shore we had dinner and a disco at the Captain’s View restaurant. The food was plentiful and we had an awards ceremony congratulating the best cadets and groups etc. The disco got everyone jumping and we returned up the hill late after needing to refuel the buses.
Monday
Our final day but still plenty to do. A quick-ish drive down the hill to the Need For Speed Go Karting centre and all the cadets had plenty of laps of the track. Staff were on last and I have to say I found it exhilarating and I went fast. It was great. I lapped all but one of the other drivers on the track, some multiple times.
Bloody Determined
The thrill of speed is something I have missed since I gave up motorcycling.
I didn’t have long to gloat because we needed to get back up the mountain to join the coach that would take us to Larnaca airport. A four hour flight later and collection of my car and I get into bed about 0100 Tuesday morning. Obviously I was bright and refreshed for teaching on Tuesday.
Plants of Cyprus
Upon my return my camp duck has been placed on a shelf in the office at work that is endearingly called “The Shelf Of Shit”. Every item on there has been lovingly collected. You can see my duck, it is placed next to my F5 model.
Spot My Duck
This communication does not and cannot give you a full appreciation of just how much hard work this trip was and all the things we did. Consider this a highlight reel. It was also a brilliantly funny, if not belly-achingly funny, time and I made great friends. I do hope to go next year.
Along the course of this camp I licked three planes. Apparently that is a thing people do, but I am going to try and not lick any more.
I earnt [?] the nickname Gollum.
I didn’t get burnt and I didn’t put on any weight.
I wore my hat a lot. I love my hat. I’m worried what I’ll do when it dies.
I saw things I can’t mention in this forum. But I can mention I can’t mention them.
I woke up every day to this view from my veranda, snow, sun and coffee [in my hand]:
I recently had a day trip with the cadets to RAF Brize Norton. We visited three main areas of the base:
TMW – Tactical Med Wing
GEW – General Engineering Wing
47 Sqn
Allison AE 2100D3 and composite blades
I learnt a lot and saw two types of aircraft I hadn’t seen before. The weather was quite grey and so the photos are a bit of a washout, I don’t do Photoshop. The low cloud base did mean that the aircraft would take off and about fifteen seconds later they would climb through the cloud.
While taking a jog from SMP near junction 12 of the M20 here in Kent I noticed the gorgeous curves of a water tower. I like this design because it clearly is a DESIGN and not a “let’s build it as strong as possible” clump of bricks. Most water towers are inelegant, this one is gorgeous.
Curves
I have a suspicion that these curves are catenaries, Gaudí uses them a lot in his cathedral.
Along with the lovely curves of that delicious monster the sun was rising over the sea. Here’s a view.
I’m quite proud of that last picture. I do think I’d be quite happy living is this home:
Recently had a good weekend at SMP near Folkestone. It was a training weekend giving skills to the CCF so they are ready to get on and enjoy some of the activities we do. On the first full day the weather was pretty poor and although warm [ish] it was overcast and drizzly. The second day was much better with brilliant sunshine and a glorious sun rise. There now follows a gallery of some of the best shots I took.
Time For Tea
Twisted Fire Starter
Parade Square
Not Concealed
Training Area Valley
Sports Field
Training
Drone Training
Catching The Light
Ready
Look At The Blue
One night at SMP I had to accompany someone to hospital. Arriving at 23:00 we finally left the minor injuries section at 03:15. Given that reveille was at 06:00 this was harsh, got into bed at 03:45. The following day was quite hard although I did manage a kip in the drone training room.
I recently spent a lovely week at RAF Wittering [EGXT] with the MGS CCF RAF Section. We were there with cadets and staff from Malvern College who all turned out to be great people. In fact, their Officer Commanding had been on my OIC course.
Harrier Fun
Here’s a list of activities we got up to followed by a small photograph gallery which could have been bigger but sometimes there are restrictions on what we can photograph.
High ropes course and power fan
Archery
Air Experience Flying with No 5 AEF
WHST
Shooting with the L98A2
Drill and drill competition
Command Tasks
Visit to Marshalls Aerospace Company
Visit to the American Cemetery near Cambridge
5131 BD Sqn visit
Fire Section visit [I might have been sprayed by a branch]
Harrier Heritage Centre visit
I did two runs
Ten pin bowling
Meal out in Stamford
Outreach team
Party minibus
This was a very enjoyable camp. Great fun. Some of the pictures below aren’t really level with the horizon, but I am not going to edit them. It’d take time I don’t really have.
Shiny – but not mine
Holding the branch
Fire section visit
American Cemetery
American Cemetery
Pegasus Fan
Truck
Trucks
Grob Tutor
Propellor
Pegasus Fan
Harrier
Cockpit
Pegasus Fan
Cockpit
Tutor
Harrier
My last photo is of a lovely elliptical bridge I saw in Leicester. Very pretty:
Had a day trip with the CCF to RAF Mildenhall which is actually a USAF base in Suffolk. It’s home to the 100th ARW or to the rest of us the 100th Air Refuelling Wing. They are the only USAF refuelling group in Europe supporting operations over a vast area. Here’s a selection of photos including a couple of me in the Boom “seat” of a KC-135 and also the co-pilot’s seat.
The 100th are the only USAF group allowed to wear their insignia from WW2 on the tailplanes. Hence the “Square D” you’ll see.
First Remembrance Day Parade for me last Sunday. I received my No.1 uniform the Wednesday previous and had some minor adjustments to make on the belt. After that I needed to find braces (not allowed to wear a belt – no loops). Essentially, I ended up marching through Maidstone town centre at around 10:30 heading to the war memorial.
Amusingly the vicar taking half of the service, it was shared, was called Ian Parrish. It is something that will make me giggle for a few years yet! It turns out he used to be in the Army. I’m not sure I quite understand how those two jobs can lead into each other but he’s not the first ex-military vicar I have met.
I chose not to sing during the national anthem along with not taking part in any of the prayers or hymns. You might not have realised but I’m quite not-religious and also struggle with identifying with a country or even the hereditable head of state. See some musings here.
Here’s the important part, photos, I’m the one in the middle, in blue. Please don’t confuse me with the Navy officers next to me!
I spent the day at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire and while there an RAF Tornado flew past at high speed. I was fortunate enough to take a few photographs, of which the following is the best. I haven’t cropped it or anything. [the other 5 photos were ok-ish].
My favourite thing about this shot is that you can see the Navigator/Weapons Officer looking at the ground as they fly by.
I spent a week recently on CCF Annual Camp at RAF Linton-On-Ouse. It was a busy week, travelling early one Saturday and returning late the following Saturday.
Here’s a rundown of the activities:
Invasion planning activity
Flight simulator activity
Ten pin bowling
Visit to RAF Fylingdales
Visit to Whitby
Obstacle Course
High Ropes
Elvington Aircraft Museum
Linton-On-Ouse Memorial Room
Sport
Section visits to:
Air Traffic Control
Flight Safety Equipment
72R Squadron
Flight Planning
Depth Engineering
Drill competition with the SWO
Dishforth Army Air Corps base
Armoury
Lynx Squadrons
Survival Equipment
Some things of note:
One evening we saw two V22 Ospreys fly over the base.
There were two fire alarms in the officers’ mess. One was about 0630 and we all left the building in whatever state of dress we were in. The next was later that day as we were all sitting down to dinner. No one moved for quite a while, we were all quite sure that it was not a “big thing”. Eventually someone told us to get out of the building and we wandered out the front door just as the firemen were walking in [they had driven from the other side of the airfield] I don’t think they were too happy with us!
Here are a selection of photos from that camp:
Adrenalin Obstacle Course
The North
RAF Fylingdales
Whitby
Halifax
JP
Not my shoes
Dishforth
Lynx Pilot
Tailgunner
DC3 Dakota
Bucanneer
Here’s a couple of amusing things, just because there probably isn’t enough humour on this site [it’s mostly me moaning about things].
This was a question that came up on some crappy Tv show I saw when I had a spare ten minutes just before dinner one evening:
Here’s a picture that I tweeted not long after a visit to Dishforth. This is probably the best toilet I’ve ever seen. It’s not glamorous but it does have a magazine rack!
Dishforth have it sorted
Also, here’s a running route I did. It was a standard PTI route I found when I was in the station gym.
This is a picture of a path at RAF Linton-on-Ouse. Either they ran out of money, expect people with very longs legs to use it or are just plain lazy.
Linton Path
Perhaps, as this base is where they train future fast jet pilots, it’s a lesson in looking forward and being aware. All I know is that I don’t understand how this could be considered logical.
This is a copy of my official OIC graduation photograph. It shows me receiving my Commission scroll [the actual one unlike my degree ceremony] from the Group Captain.
I know, I know. This is just another list of stuff!
So very true, but this is the biggie. This is why you join the cadets. If you want to see the other communications in this series then click here.
Just before I enter the list you may or may not be interested to know that aerobatics really messes me up. I positively enjoy the experience of aero but it will make me sick and turns me into a useless lump of cells for a few hours as my body recovers. I will go green and then white, I have headaches and everything spins for ages. After anything up to five hours later I will become very hungry, that signals the start of my recovery. I really enjoy flying and aerobatics but I just have to be aware of the consequences.
Powered FLying Log
My total time is just over 21 hours. That’s not bad even if it includes two flights to Cyprus which I’ve counted because I was flying “on duty”.
I also recently had a flight in a Grob Tutor while on camp at Brize Norton. I got around a 40 minute flight, it was a much better experience than the chipmunk.
I spent a week at RAF Brize Norton recently with the Combined Cadet Force RAF Section from work. I had a great time but more importantly all of the cadets we took had a good time. We were very busy and it was extremely tiring but I got so much from it.
Here’s a list of things that we did (mostly because I can’t be bothered to compose prose for this):
5.56 shooting at the outdoor range. After over twenty years of not shooting a weapon I was very happy with my twenty shot grouping.
Grob Tutor air experience flying with 6 AEF at RAF Benson.
RAF Section Visits to:
Air Traffic Control
Fire
Armoury
JADTEU
47 Air Despatch
Survival Equipment
SERE
Dog Handling
DMTS
Support Eng Flight
XXIV Squadron
Parachute Training School
DCCT – I managed to pass my RAF shooting test with a score of 65/75
Low Ropes
High Ropes
Laser Target Practice
Ten Pin Bowling
The Officers’ Mess was a delight and a wonderful building that overlooked the runway about half way along. My only problem was that the Friday of camp was the Officers’ Summer Ball and while my room overlooked the runway it also was directly above the bar and next to the funfair that was set up for the ball. That night I slept in the cadets billet as a supervisor rather than not sleep in my room in the mess.
Here’s a selection of photographs I took during the week. I can’t share some of the really cool stuff we saw because it’s covered by the OS Act.
At the beginning of June I travelled to RAF Cranwell to attend my Officers’ Initial Course. I have recently been commissioned into the RAF VR(T) and I had to complete this course before I could formally wear my rank tabs. I wanted to get the course done quickly so that I could then go on a week’s camp and not have to wear the white (trainee) rank tabs.
I drove up on the Sunday and Warned In to the mess [what normal people would call “checking in”]. We had a briefing and were told about the expectation of behaviour and where to be at what time and in what uniform. It was quite exciting.
The first day was a mixture of classroom activity and drill. It turned out that some of us weren’t very good at drill and we had to work quite a lot on the basics, which wasn’t too bad as the older ones of us needed the practice. Our homework for the day was to prepare a presentation in groups. I was not selected as course leader, which would have been good fun, but at least I wasn’t responsible for a bunch of people I had never met before.
Tuesday morning was our first inspection and I had spent some time shining my shoes to make them lovely and also ironing my shirt. My trousers I had left as they were. I passed the inspection but there were some points to work on: seams in shirt sleeves and tying my tie a bit straighter. We presented our talks and the feedback was pretty accurate. We had more classroom activities and plenty of drill. Tuesday evening Mark and I went for a drive to Lincoln, just to get out in to the normal world for a while.
Wednesday was another inspection and my comments were just to work harder on everything. The day was very busy with more drill, more classroom stuff and finally a lesson on leadership and a small command task in the ATF building. This was a good precursor to our work on Thursday. Wednesday evening was mostly about preparing uniform and helping a couple of others learn how to “bull” their shoes. The Flight Sergeant has asked me to help a couple of the other members of the course and so I had to make sure their shoes were shiny, but I helped them rather than do it myself. Some of the female members of the course had found an interesting currency to barter for shoe shining services from the Navy pilots staying at Daedalus mess.
Thursday was the final inspection from the Squadron Leader who was also ex-Queens Colour Squadron, so he knew about how to look good. The only comment he had for me was to lower my chin by a few degrees. That pretty much means that I maxed the uniform part of the inspection – I was very happy about that. For the rest of the day we were doing command and leadership exercises in the ATF building and also in “The Hanger” used by the Officer and Air Selection Centre. Think of “The Crystal Maze” but without all the fancy sets. My leadership task went OK and the feedback was good. The best part of the week was having the Flight Sergeant and Warrant Officer commanding us over a particular obstacle set. It was great to be shouted at and have everyone working together efficiently. We also had about 20 minutes to talk to them about how to use these skills in the field.
Thursday evening we had a lovely silver service meal in the mess. The Red Arrows flew by as the RAF Officers on their IOT had passed out that day and the Arrows were planned as part of their celebrations.
RAF Cranwell Meal
The Friday was about a final few lessons, our individual feedback and our graduation. We weren’t allowed to graduate in College Hall and so we had to have our celebration in Daedalus mess. It is a shame as I have not yet walked across the “commissioning carpet”. There is a carpet in College Hall that only commissioned officers are allowed to walk across. This would have been the final part of our ceremony but I will have to wait for another visit to RAF Cranwell.
The week was great fun, I met some lovely people and above all I surpassed my personal targets for the week. It’s a shame it was only one week, two would have been perfect!
RAF Cranwell
As we were told at Cranwell: It’s all about credibility.
I have received my commission in to the RAF VR(T). For those of you who don’t know, the VR(T) branch of the RAF is for adult uniformed officers in the cadet forces. I am officially now Pilot Officer Parish RAF VR(T). I am attached to Maidstone Grammar School Combined Cadet Force, RAF Section.
Commission
I have completed some duties already and I am looking forward to doing more in the future. I shall inform you of bits and pieces, but on the whole this isn’t really the correct forum for me to write or say anything about work as this website is public. The CCF unit is attached to the school where I work and so I will write communications when I think it is suitable. It’s a bit like my twitter account: I am quite aware that everyone can see it and so I control what I write. My friends know the real me, not necessarily the readers of these communications.
