Events

Sunday 29th October 2017

Sunday 29th October will see  Cadets and Staff from all four southern Derbyshire Squadrons of the Air Training Corps come together for a training day at the brand new 126 (City of Derby) Headquarters.

Derby, Swadlincote, Ilkeston and Long Eaton Squadrons will be joined by their northern Leicestershire counterparts in various activities including Music, Leadership, Teamwork, Radio and various Aviation programmes.

The Air Training Corps started life in 1941 originally formed along with other units throughout the UK to “Meet the needs of the nation at war”, and the location of the Derby Unit is the site of what was once Royal Air Force Derby before becoming the Headquarters of the Derbyshire Wing of the ATC.

Sector Adjutant, Flight Lieutenant Rob Moore of Chellaston, a former Derby Cadet told us that this will be the first time that the Derbyshire Cadets have come back to this site since the Wing closed back in 1971.

The training day is aimed to enable the Cadets of Derbyshire and North Leicestershire to come together in order to undertake non-competitive training in various activities which will be both fun and creative in developing their Inter Unit Dynamic as well as offering them opportunities to gain Cadet qualifications.

The Sector Commander, Squadron Leader Alyn Thompson, explained “This is a pilot project which will give all of our Cadets opportunity to meet up with their counterparts in a non-competitive atmosphere and I am hoping that this will be a model from which we can develop a regular programme throughout 2018.  By having our staff who have so many varied skills come together on days such as these we can offer so much more to our Cadets.”

Working on the day will be the South and East Midlands Band mainly from Swadlincote who became the Midland Area champions last weekend and who will be training together on the day in preparation for the National Championships in November.

Derby Squadron Commander, Ian Marshall told us, “Our Cadets get chances to take part in activities which are just not available to anyone else in the Derbyshire area.  Where else can a young teenager take control of an aeroplane and do aerobatics with a Royal Air Force Pilot for free?  We are pleased to be hosting our fellow Cadets in our brand new facility and I look forward to Derby contributing so much to ensure that these events will prove a success.”