Activities of the Air Training Corps Within the framework of the training programme Air Training Corps cadets have the opportunity of taking part in many activities . On most Squadrons the only compulsory activities in the ATC year are attendance at various church parade s , usually ATC Sunday ( to celebrate the founding of the Air Training Corps on 5 February 1941 , see below ) and Remembrance Sunday . Many wings also insist that attending Wing Parade is compulsory . Parade nights . Squadrons usually meet or parade during the evening , twice a week . Parade nights always begin and end with a parade . First parade is usually used as an opportunity for uniform inspection and to instruct cadets on the evening ' s activities , while final parade is usually used as an opportunity to inform cadets of upcoming events that they may wish ( or may be required ) to take part in . On some squadrons subscriptions , or ' subs , ' are paid on a per - parade night basis . On other squadrons , subs are paid monthly either in person or by automated standing order . Subs vary from squadron to squadron and are set by the civilian committee in consultation with the squadron ' s Officer Commanding and other staff . Each night ' s activities , between first and final parade , are normally structured into two sessions with a break in between . The activities are normally pre - planned and may include lessons , drill , aviation - type activities such as aero - modelling , radio communications and map reading . Some squadrons will include physical training . Some nights are used for fieldcraft training or exercises – sometimes colloquially referred to as ' greens nights ' . Flying . Air Experience . Cadets from both the Air Training Corps and CCF ( RAF ) are offered opportunities to fly in light aircraft , gliders and other RAF and civil aircraft . Cadets can take part in regular flights in the Grob Tutor at one of 12 Air Experience Flight s ( AEFs ) around the UK . These flights typically last 30 minutes ; as part of a structured syllabus of training it is usual for the cadet to be offered the chance of flying the aircraft or of experiencing aerobatics . The staff are all qualified service pilots , usually serving or retired RAF officers . Prior to the introduction of the Tutor , AEFs were equipped with Bulldogs as a temporary measure following the retirement of the Chipmunk in 1996 . The Chipmunk was introduced in 1957 and during its service flew many thousands of cadets . Prior to the Chipmunk and established AEFs , cadet flying was a more ad hoc affair , although during the 1940s and 1950s , Airspeed Oxford s and Avro Anson s were used specifically to fly cadets . Cadets were most often used to manually pump the landing gear up or down when flying in the Ansons . Some Cadets who stand out from the rest may also get the opportunity to fly on a civil airliner or go on an overseas flight in an RAF Tri - Star , VC10 or Hercules . A few cadets have also had the opportunity to fly in a variety of other aircraft including fast jets and the Red Arrows . In general , every cadet will be given opportunities to fly during their time as an active member of an ATC or CCF squadron . Gliding . Cadets can also undertake elementary flying training at a Volunteer Gliding Squadron ( VGS ) in Air Cadet gliders . The staff are all qualified service gliding instructors , usually made up of a mixture of regulars , reservists and Civilian Instructors . At age 16 onwards , cadets can apply for gliding scholarships through their squadron staff . If selected , the cadet will receive up to 40 instructional launches on the Viking conventional glider ( although if the student is close to solo standard it is not unusual for this limit to be exceeded ) , or up to 8 hours of tuition on the Vigilant motor glider . Cadets who successfully complete either of these programmes will be awarded blue wings . Cadets who show the required aptitude and ability may go on to perform a solo flight and be awarded silver wings . Further training is available to a select few cadets who show potential to progress onto Advanced Gliding Training ( AGT ) where on completion they are awarded gold wings . Usually these cadets will be enrolled as Flight Staff Cadets ( FSCs ) and further training to instructor categories is possible . A FSC can achieve a Grade 2 award , which recognises them as a competent solo pilot , a Grade 1 award , allowing them to carry passengers in the air and perform the basic teaching tasks involved in the GIC courses , a C category instructors rating which is a probationary instructor who is qualified to teach the Gliding Scholarship course , and possibly a B category instructors rating which allows them to perform the duties of a ' B cat ' explained below , with the exception that they cannot perform the role of duty instructor ( DI ) who is in control of the day ' s flying and decisions for the time that they are in that role . Once a cadet reaches 20 years of age , he can no longer be a FSC and must become a Civilian ( Gliding ) Instructor , CGI , ( although a FSC has this option at age 18 ) or a commissioned officer . Once either of these adult statuses has been gained , ' B cat ' and ' A cat ' is possible . B cats can carry out AGT flying training . An A cat is able to send first solos , whereas a B cat can only send subsequent solos . Both can perform SCT ( Staff Continuation Training ) to keep other members of staff well trained and current in their flying categories . Marksmanship . Cadets at all levels of the Air Training Corps have the opportunity to participate in the sport of rifle shooting . Since the ATC was originally a recruiting organisation for the Royal Air Force it made good sense for marksman ship to be on the training syllabus . Shooting remains one of the most popular cadet activities . Cadets have the opportunity of firing a variety of rifle s on firing ranges . Cadets first train with and fire either the Lee - Enfield No . 8 . 22 rifle or . 177 air rifles . They can then progress to the L98A2 GP ( GP standing for Cadet General Purpose ) , a variant of the 5 . 56 mm L85A2 , with the selector switch removed and locked on repetition . The 7 . 62 mm Parker Hale L81A2 Cadet Target Rifle is also used at long ranges for competition shooting such as ISCRM . Although safety has always been the main concern when shooting , with everything done by the book , recent years have seen the introduction of a wider range of training courses for staff involved in shooting to improve quality and safety even further . There are many competitions , from postal smallbore competitions to the yearly Cadet - Inter - Service - Skill - at - Arms meet ( CISSAM or commonly pronounced " siss - amm " ) and the annual Inter - Service - Cadet - Rifle - Meet ( ISCRM or commoly pronounced " iss - crum " ) at Bisley , the home of UK shooting . There are currently four types of marksman award that a cadet can achieve , ranging from " Squadron Marksman " , through " Wing Marksman " and " Region Marksman " , up to " Corps Marksman " . To achieve these awards the cadet needs to undergo a special shooting " marksman " practice and then achieve a high enough qualifying score depending on the award specified . The top 100 cadets in the ISCRM competition are awarded the prestigious " Cadet 100 " marksman award , and the top 50 cadets in the CISSAM competition are awarded the equally prestigious the " Cadet 50 " award . Drill . The Air Cadets , as a uniformed youth organization , sets itself and its members very high standards , including dress and behaviour . Drill ( marching ) is a vital part of encouraging teamwork . All ATC squadrons practice drill as a means of instilling discipline and teamwork and a means for Officers and NCOs to develop the ability to command and control . It is also used in formal parade s and for moving around military bases and moving cadets in a smart , uniform manner . There are also drill competitions : inter - Squadron , inter - Wing , and inter - Region Exhibition drill competitions . Air Cadet drill is taken from the RAF Drill Manual ( AP818 ) . All drill instruction should be solely conducted by a qualified Drill Instructor ( DI ) . However , as not all units have access to a DI other WOs , SNCO ( ATC ) will assume this responsibility . More often than not , cadet NCOs will instruct drill within their squadron and drill competition squads must consist of only cadets , led by a cadet drill co - ordinator . Cadets participate in various forms of drill , some of which include : Drill & discipline is the responsibility of the WOs and / or NCOs on a squadron . Once a cadet has gained a few years of experience and has attained NCO rank , the cadet will pass on knowledge and experience to other cadets , such as instructing cadets how to participate in a drill squad , taking charge of a drill squad or flight or even taking a major part in ceremonial drill such as a Standard Bearer at Remembrance Day Parades . Some Wings run Drill courses in order to improve NCO drill . Adventure Training . Adventure Training is defined as : " Challenging outdoor training for Personnel in specified adventurous activities , involving controlled exposure to risk , to develop leadership , teamwork , physical fitness , moral and physical courage , among other personal attributes and skills vital to operational capability . " It is an important part of ATC activities and can help develop teamwork as well as leadership skills . Within the ATC there are many opportunities to take part in adventure training , such as hillwalking , canoeing , kayaking , camouflage and concealment expeditions , hiking , and camping . All activities of this kind are supervised by appropriately qualified staff ( Mountain Leader for Hill walking , British Canoe Union ( BCU ) instructors for canoeing and kayaking ) . There are also nationally run courses such as Parachuting , Basic Winter Training and Nordic Skiing to name a few . Adventure training can take place as part of regular squadron parade nights , weekend and week - long centres . There are also two national ATC adventure training camps . NACATC ( National Air Cadet Adventure Training Centre ) Llanbedr in Snowdonia and NACATC Windermere in the English Lake District . Here cadets stay for a week participating in various activities in adventure training . There is a wide - ranging Adventure Training syllabus in the ACO – although specifics depend upon the squadron . Camps . Most camps are run at wing level and are usually 1 week in duration . The activities at these camps vary . Most Wings will hold 1 or 2 annual camps that consist primarily of " blues " activities which could include museum visits , drill and flying or " greens " camps which consist more of adventure training , climbing , shooting and flying . There are also overseas camps , usually in Germany , Gibraltar or Cyprus . These camps tend to include museum visits and local activities . Most camps carry a small cost to cover messing ( food ) while other costs are subsidised by a cadet ' s monthly payments and by the MOD . Climbing . Climbing is a physical challenge for the cadet , and also helps develop concentration and judgement as well as Teamwork . Many squadrons go on climbing trips regularly – a few even have their own climbing wall s . All climbing is supervised by professionally qualified instructors ( either staff members or employed from the outside ) . Fieldcraft . Fieldcraft is an exciting part of any squadron ' s training programme , and the promise of a good exercise is always guaranteed to get good attendance . Fieldcraft is , to put it simply , the art of living and moving in the field . Although the ACO is generally focused on different activities , fieldcraft does play a part in most squadrons ' training programmes . Fieldcraft is taught from a single manual , common to all squadrons , so the basic lessons are very similar across the ATC ; however , ' Consolidated Practical Training ' ( CPT ) and full exercises differ greatly depending on local resources , staffing and skill levels . Exercises and CPT place emphasis on different aspects of fieldcraft – some might need you and your team to move slowly and quietly while approaching an ' enemy ' installation , others require speed as well as stealth , and a quick decision on how much of the one to trade off against the other . A generally acknowledged advantage of fieldcraft exercises is that it forces cadets to use their initiative . A relatively junior member of the squadron could find themselves in a decision - making position . For this reason , fieldcraft is often used by squadrons as a method of assessing cadets ' leadership qualities , as it forces cadets to make quick decisions and perhaps to effectively lead a team , even when they ' re unsure of exactly what ' s going on or what they ' re supposed to be doing . For this reason , fieldcraft forms the core of the ATC ' s Junior Leaders course . Leadership training . Leadership training is an important part of many squadrons ' training programmes , with training available at higher levels too . Most wings run NCO courses ( also run on a regional basis ) , designed to help newly promoted NCOs to perform their duties well , or to train those eligible for promotion , these are normally two days in length . There are also a number of courses run centrally by the ATC . These include : Air Cadet Leadership Course . This is run by the Combined Cadet Force ( RAF ) at RAF Cranwell . Successful completion of this leads to the award of the Cadet Leadership badge . Cadet Leadership Course . Air Cadets are also able to attend the Army Cadet Force ( ACF ) Leadership courses which are held twice a year ( either at Nesscliffe in Shropshire or at Frimley Park in Surrey ) . Junior Leaders . Cadets over the age of 17 and of the rank of at least Cadet Corporal can complete a leadership course called Junior Leaders , this course requires over a hundred hours of planning and a high degree of physical fitness . Upon completion , the cadet is awarded a maroon lanyard ( which replaces the yellow Staff Cadet lanyard on the cadet ' s uniform ) and a green and wedgwood blue DZ Flash for wearing on the DPM uniform as well as qualifying for the ILM level 3 diploma in Team Leading . This course is run in three phases and split into 8 separate training weekends and a 10 day test phase which covers the following areas : Duke of Edinburgh ' s Award . The Air Training Corps is the single largest operating authority of the Duke of Edinburgh ' s Award system and celebrated its 50th year of providing this opportunity to its cadets in 2006 . The Duke of Edinburgh ' s Award Scheme is a voluntary , non - competitive programme of practical , cultural and adventurous activities for young people aged 14 – 25 . The Award programme consists of three levels , Bronze , Silver and Gold . Each has differing criteria for entry and the level of achievement necessary to complete each award . Air Cadets who meet the age criteria can join the award scheme . Each award is broken down into four areas ( five for gold ) which participants must complete successfully to receive their award . These are : Helping others in the local community . Training for , and planning , a journey . Demonstrate ability in almost any hobby , skill or interest Sport , dance and fitness . A purposeful enterprise with young people not previously known to the participant . Cadets are often encouraged to achieve the Bronze , Silver and Gold awards as they progress through their cadet careers . Some cadets aged 16 or over were formerly able to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh ' s Millennium Volunteers Award . , this has been taken over by another authority and whether cadets will be able to undertake it is under review . The Award is widely recognised by employers as it helps demonstrate that award holders are keen to take on new challenges , have a higher level of self - confidence than many of their peers , leadership qualities and the experience of teamwork . Sport . Sport plays a key part in the activities of every squadron . Seven sports are played competitively between squadrons . Cadets who show talent can be selected to represent their Wing , Region or the Corps in competitive matches ; these cadets are awarded wing , regional or corps ' Blues ' . The main sports played are : Other sports are also played , sometimes in matches between squadrons , including volleyball , five - a - side football , table tennis , etc . Cadets also use various sports to take part in the physical recreation section of the Duke of Edinburgh ' s Award . Orienteering in the ATC only came about in 2006 where cadets from the different wings go to the cadet orienteering championships . Various units send to teams to the annual Nijmegen Vierdaagse Marches where on successful completion of the event they are awarded a medal . Communications . An extensive range of communication training is offered where appropriately skilled instructors and equipment are available . This can range from hand - held radio operating procedures to long - distance HF radio and networked digital communication , and even encompasses publishing online ( such as this Wiki ) . The Provisional Radio Operator Certificate is the first step , followed by the Full Radio Operator Certificate . These qualifications have been part of the curriculum since 2000 . Cadets are then encouraged to pursue this training further across a range of mediums and technologies . Once a sufficiently broad spectrum of skills have been mastered and validated by the " Wing Radio Communications Officer " the cadet is awarded the Air Cadet Communicator Certificate and the Communicator Badge , which is worn on the brassard . Communication training provides valuable practical lessons in information handling and management , develops interpersonal skills and meets one of the Corps ' prime objectives : ' providing training useful in both civilian and military life ' . Community volunteering . Cadets often volunteer to help at various national and local events . For their services a small payment is usually offered to their squadron ' s funds . Typical examples of such work includes car parking duties at events and delivering copies of Gateway Magazine to RAF married quarters . The largest example of cadets involved in volunteer work is at the Royal International Air Tattoo , an annual air display held at RAF Fairford . Each year several hundred air cadets volunteer to stay on the base in temporary accommodation . During the course of the event they help with duties such as selling programmes , crowd control and clearing litter . Band . Members of squadron bands may be entitled to wear specific band badges , subject to passing the appropriate assessment as per ACP 1812 . The Drum / Pipe major ' s badge , composed of four inverted chevrons , surmounted by either a drum or pipes respectively is not permitted to be worn at Squadron or Wing level ( ACP 1812 refers ) . RAF Blue Drum Major slides may not be worn , at any time , by any cadet . Music camps . There are also specific music camps , which is where a cadet of musical proficiency applies to attend , and they are selected depending on the musical skill ( grades ) and their other qualities . About 35 - 40 cadets are selected for this each year . The annual national Air Cadet music camp is held at RAF College Cranwell , HQ of the ATC . Upon attending this camp , cadets are rewarded by receiving a gold - coloured band badge , to replace the silver - coloured badges worn by ATC band members . The National Concert Band of the Air Cadets , composed of attendees of the National camp , have recently performed at some very prestigious events . These include The Royal International Air Tattoo ( RIAT ) , held at RAF Fairford . A Garden Party at Buckingham Palace , playing the National Anthem for the arrival of HRH Prince Charles and Camilla . The band has also performed at The Mansion House , London for the Royal Centenary Banquet of the Air League in the presence of distinguished guests such as the Lord Mayor of London , and HRH Princess Royal . Towards the second half of 2008 , the ACO Music Services agreed to establish a corps marching band , formed of cadets from all 6 regions throughout the Air Training Corps . The first National Marching Band camp was held in October 2008 at Browndown Battery , with a performance being made in front of HMS Victory . The Nation Marching Band of the Air Cadets , now uses Fort Blockhouse as its training ground . The band ' s most recent performances have been at Royal Air Force Museum London , the previous Hendon Aerodrome . On 13 July 2010 , the 72 cadets forming the band marched down Pall Mall and into Buckingham Palace in a contingent featuring 575 other Air Cadets , celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Cadet Forces . First aid . Many squadrons offer a number of first aid courses , such as the St John Ambulance Youth First Aid course . Courses may be provided by individual squadron units , or by the wings and regions . The course can be completed over a weekend , or over a series of parade nights . Either way , the course is assessed by a practical exam , where cadets have to deal with three situations : a conscious , breathing casualty ; an unconscious , breathing casualty ; and an unconscious non - breathing casualty , involving CPR on a Resusci Anne manekin . . A series of first aid topics are covered during the course such as fainting , bleeding , head injuries and bites and stings . These are taught by qualified staff , often qualified to the level of First Aid at Work . Upon completion , cadets receive a red Youth First Aid badge for sewing onto the brassard as well as a certificate . Some squadrons also offer the ' Heartstart ' course , which is a basic first aid course in Emergency Life Support , coordinated by the British Heart Foundation In addition to the Youth First Aid course , some cadets have the opportunity to undertake the St John Ambulance Activity First Aid Course , a much more detailed course for more senior cadets over the age of sixteen . Upon completing this course cadets will receive a green Activity First Aid badge for sewing onto the brassard . In the case a cadet already wears a Young Lifesaver Plus badge , the Activity First Aid badge should be sewn in its place . Completion of the Activity First Aid Course trains cadets to the level of first aid required for many adult ' outdoor ' qualifications such as the Mountain Leader Award . The qualification also makes it possible for cadets to teach the Youth First Aid course to less experienced cadets . Other awards . Cadets can also qualify for various other BTEC awards through the training that is carried out at their squadrons . There are many additional courses and awards that can be gained . The recognised qualifications are :