The Air Cadet Organisation
The Air Cadet Organisation (ACO) is a national youth organization sponsored by the Royal Air Force in the UK. Membership is open to young people aged between 13 and 22 years.
The ACO is made up of two areas:
Air Training Corps - The ATC is the RAF's cadet force, divided into six regions, 36 wings and more than 900 squadrons within communities around the UK.
Combined Cadet Force (RAF) - The CCF (RAF) is our section of the CCF which is made up of cadets from all three services, coming together in approximately 200 independent and state schools across the country.
The ATC and CCF(RAF) share many similarities but there are a number of differences in structure, training programmes, recruitment etc. Basically the Air Training Corps is open to anyone whereas the CCF (RAF) is only usually open to the members of the school with which the section is associated.
The Aims of the Air Cadet Organization are:
To promote and encourage among young people a practical interest in aviation and the Royal Air Force.
To provide training which will be useful in the Services and civilian life.
To foster the spirit of adventure and develop qualities of leadership and good citizenship.
The "Air Cadets" provides the opportunity for members to take part in a huge and diverse range of exciting and challenging activities. Many are organized at National and Regional level, many others take place locally at Wing and Squadron levels these include:
Flying, Sports, Adventure Training, Camping, Engineering, Shooting, Drill, Music, Watersports, Abseiling, Overseas Travel - they are all activities provided by the ATC and CCF(RAF).
The ACO develops personal qualities and a sense of community and citizenship valued by employers, both military and civil.
A very large percentage of serving members of the Royal Air Force were air cadets. Although the ACO is not a recruiting organization, 41% of Officer and 51% of all Aircrew recruits including Pilots, WSOs (Navigators) and WSOps (Air Electronics Operators, Air Engineers, Air Loadmasters and Signallers) into the Royal Air Force are ex-air cadets. If you are looking for a Service career, membership will help give you a head start. Research has shown that ex-cadets do better in basic training and stay in the Service longer than their colleagues without the benefit of cadet membership.
The ACO is made up of two areas:
Air Training Corps - The ATC is the RAF's cadet force, divided into six regions, 36 wings and more than 900 squadrons within communities around the UK.
Combined Cadet Force (RAF) - The CCF (RAF) is our section of the CCF which is made up of cadets from all three services, coming together in approximately 200 independent and state schools across the country.
The ATC and CCF(RAF) share many similarities but there are a number of differences in structure, training programmes, recruitment etc. Basically the Air Training Corps is open to anyone whereas the CCF (RAF) is only usually open to the members of the school with which the section is associated.
The Aims of the Air Cadet Organization are:
To promote and encourage among young people a practical interest in aviation and the Royal Air Force.
To provide training which will be useful in the Services and civilian life.
To foster the spirit of adventure and develop qualities of leadership and good citizenship.
The "Air Cadets" provides the opportunity for members to take part in a huge and diverse range of exciting and challenging activities. Many are organized at National and Regional level, many others take place locally at Wing and Squadron levels these include:
Flying, Sports, Adventure Training, Camping, Engineering, Shooting, Drill, Music, Watersports, Abseiling, Overseas Travel - they are all activities provided by the ATC and CCF(RAF).
The ACO develops personal qualities and a sense of community and citizenship valued by employers, both military and civil.
A very large percentage of serving members of the Royal Air Force were air cadets. Although the ACO is not a recruiting organization, 41% of Officer and 51% of all Aircrew recruits including Pilots, WSOs (Navigators) and WSOps (Air Electronics Operators, Air Engineers, Air Loadmasters and Signallers) into the Royal Air Force are ex-air cadets. If you are looking for a Service career, membership will help give you a head start. Research has shown that ex-cadets do better in basic training and stay in the Service longer than their colleagues without the benefit of cadet membership.
