1287 (Wattisham) Squadron

1. 1287 (Wattisham) Squadron The Going Ons Of 2008

2. This short presentation highlights some of the major activities that our squadron participate in. Introduction “Without any further ado, here comes the show . . . .”

3. On Projects nights, Mr Hayward organise the opportunity to craft your own model planes. CDT Fitzgerald was entered into the wing competition for his model, he came 7th in the entire wing. There Aren’t Any Pictures . . . . D Aero Modelling

4. About 10 times a year the cadets get the chance to fire live weapons down a range, all competing to get a Marksman’s badge. Shooting is an exhilarating activity that everyone enjoys and the cadets are lucky enough to use older weapons that most of the military don’t any more … its like history re-lived There Aren’t Any Pictures . . . . C Shooting

5. Being in the Air Cadets, means you get the chance to do something that others will rarely get the opportunity to do … Like Flying! All cadets get the opportunity to fly a Grob Tutor themselves and learn how to control it, even possibly get a Pilots Licence. It means they get to experience the thrill of aerobatics, pulling sharp g-forces and performing full loops … you can even get the chance to fly these actions yourself The cadets also have the chance to fly in the cadet glider, the Viking, it combines the grace of flying without the noise. See Next Slide For The Pictures…. D Flying

7. C Wingfield is the annual wing competition that puts each Squadron against each other. It’s a greens based camp so has activities to suit – Orienteering, Shooting, the Assault Course and First Aid. Points are awarded for each activity depending on how well each squadron does. The points are then collected and added up at the end, the squadron with the most wins. We came 4th There aren’t any pictures . . . . Wingfield (25th – 26th April)

8. Every year the Hadleigh Show is attended by 1287 (Wattisham) squadron, in order to demonstrate the range of activities Air Cadets provide. It also acts as a way for our squadron to recruit new cadets. It also enables the squadron to earn a bit of money because the cadets help out at the show by car parking, helping out with the events and clearing up on the next day. There Aren’t Any Pictures . . . . D Hadleigh Show (17th May)

9. Every year the Squadron attends the wing drill competition. It involves the cadets performing a pre-set series of drill commands which is then judged by the Wing Staff The cadets also do a lot of practice for this competition and so the run-up months to the competition is rigorous drill lessons. This year we came 4th overall and 2nd in uniform. There aren’t any pictures . . . . C Drill Comp (20th June)

10. This was our 4th visit to 22 Search And Rescue Squadron Unfortunately the weather was not favourable, as it was really cold Despite this, the pilots managed to ensure every cadet had a birds eye view of their house The members of 22 SQN showed the cadets around the helicopter before they had their flight. See Next Slide For The Pictures…. D Sea King Flight (July 2008)

12. On the 13th July a few cadets went to Duxford air show. While they were there they took the chance to look around some of the hangers at Duxford. The cadets watched as the planes performed their acts in fascination at the acts and the planes themselves. After the cadets were satisfied with what they had seen, they started on their journey back when a tire burst on the minibus. Luckily everyone made it back alright even if they were a little bit late. See Next Slide For Pictures . . . . D Duxford Air Show (13th July)

14. In the cadets rare, but excellent, opportunities arise, such as a Parachute Course. This lets the lucky cadets earn a parachute training licence meaning they can parachute safely. They cover all the training involved and within a week you will be able to jump out of a plane at three and a half feet! There are similar courses available throughout the year … including Paragliding and Nordic Skiing. There Aren’t Any Pictures . . . . C Parachute Course (13th – 16th July)

15. D The first one of the year was based at RAF St. Martins (9th – 17thAug), which is the greens based camp, where more adventurous activities take place, such as Orienteering, Climbing and the Assault Course. On the second camp, to RAF Lyneham (19th – 27th Aug) , this is the working blues camp. Cadets do activities such as drill comps and flying. Flight Sergeant Willson also attended a Germany camp which was a rare opportunity which he enjoyed a lot. See Next Slide For Pictures . . . . Camps

16. St. Martins

17. RAF Lynham

18. Elmsett Air Day is attended by our squadron due to the close ties with our squadron and the staff at Elmsett Airfield. We use it as a day to attract young new cadets to our squadron and try to raise funds. This year we made friends with the people who drive one of the Black Thunder cars for the former SGR Suffolk Radio. They kindly agreed to mention us on the radio, so overall it turned out to be a good day for all. See Next Slides For Pictures . . . . D Elmsett Air Day (20th September)

20. On the 4th October four brave cadets set off for the peaks, where they would be assessed for their camp craft skills. They had to follow a route around Lords Seat (one of the mountains) and back again. The second morning, they had to follow a second route around Mam Tor. En route they had their first aid skills tested where Flt Lt Gould acted as a casualty and whether he survived is a different matter…. As if that wasn’t enough they had to try knots. Overall, the squadron was placed 3rd out of 6 teams. See Next Slide For Pictures . . . . C Peaks Challenge (4th – 6th Oct)

22. Out in the wilderness of Norfolk, a team of cadets embarked on the greatest journey of their life so far – The Duke Of Edinburgh Expedition. They set on the first day with the goal to survive in said wilderness until they reached their end point on the second day. The cadets where also set a blind drop challenge where they where dropped off in a random location and told to head for a set grid reference with only a map and a compass (and water naturally) and told to head for ‘home’. The whole squadron was very pleased at the cadets’ success. See Next Slide For Pictures . . . . C Duke Of Edinburgh (18th- 19th October)

24. C Caving (24th-26th October) • Seven cadets got the chance to go caving with the EECIT, through one of the CI’s contacts. • This gave the lucky seven a chance to experience something entirely new … i.e. going underground into one of Britain’s natural caves. • The caving team made it into a laugh but still managed to get the serious stuff across making everyone feel a lot safer. • The second day everyone went walking in the Derbyshire Hills, experiencing some nature that was above ground this time See Next Slides For Pictures . . . .

26. Following the tradition, two parades where attended, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning parade took place in Barham Church. In the afternoon, the cadets marched along Hadleigh High Street and saluted the memorial. Followed by a church service held by the community. See Next Slide For Pictures D Remembrance Parade (9th November) The battle of Britain Parade is also attended earlier in the year.

28. THE END!