AIR CADETS ACHIEVE ONE MILLIONTH GLIDER FLIGHT
.jpg "AIR CADETS ACHIEVE ONE MILLIONTH GLIDER FLIGHT")
The Air Cadet Organisation (ACO) will celebrate an amazing one millionth glider flight at this year's Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) air show, at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire.
The feat comes as the organisation celebrates its 70th anniversary with a series of events labelled 'Air Cadet 70'.The lucky cadet is being chosen from those who will be working at this year's RIAT, where approximately 750 cadets will be carrying out a range of official duties around the site.
Also flying will be the ACO's highest ranked volunteer and one of its longest serving members, Group Captain Bill Walker, himself a cadet in the 1940s, will take to the skies in one of the most poignant flights of his life.
Despite having flown more than 1,000 of the organisation's talented cadets in his 69 years of service with the Air Cadets, Bill will fulfil one of his finest achievements to date, as he joins a modern day cadet in soaring above the world famous RIAT site in one of the ACO's Vigilant aircraft for the one millionth flight of the prestigious Air Cadet Gliding Instructor Course.
The Air Cadets are currently the world's largest gliding organisation, making thousands of young people between the ages of 13-20 airborne across the United Kingdom each year.
Gliding in the Air Cadet Organisation began back in 1943, when it became part of official training. By April 1944 there were 78 gliding schools, which peaked at a total of 84 in December 1945. The modern day gliding fleet comprises Vikings (Grob 103), which first came into service in 1984 and the Vigilant (Grob 109) – the most up-to-date glider in the ACO, which had its first flight in 1990.
Since 1945 the ACO has lived up to its title of the world's largest gliding organisation, sending 2,000 cadets solo each year. There are currently 100 Vikings and 67 Vigilants in service, which help the organisation continue to hit its impressive gliding targets annually.
Speaking about the one millionth glider flight, the ACO's Head of Media and Communications, Denise Parker Housby said: "This is a huge landmark for the ACO, which comes at a great time, as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Air Training Corps.
"Group Captain Bill Walker is a great choice to fly alongside the chosen cadet on the day at RAF Fairford, as he embodies the true spirit of the ACO's gliding fraternity. Having flown in every glider that the ACO has, I have no doubt that he will enjoy this particular flight as much as any other."
To herald the 70th anniversary of the Air Training Corps, RIAT 2011 will also see the ACO hold its very own 70th themed flypast – the most historic display of cadet heavy metal ever presented at any air display.
Taking place on both the Saturday and Sunday, thousands of visitors to Europe's largest military airshow will witness the flypast, which will include 13 famous aircraft from the organisation's past and present, including the Tiger Moth, Chipmunk T10, Tutor and Viking.
June 8, 2011
