224 (Hexham) Squadron

Silver Success for Hexham Cadets

Posted on 21st February 2010

On Sunday 20th February, 21 air cadets from across Durham & Northumberland represented their Wing in the annual North Region cross country competition. Two of the cadets competing were from 224 (Hexham) Squadron. Each cadet ran 3 miles at the Whitton Country Park in Blackburn against other cadets from all over the region.

Hexham cadet Gabriel Southren-burns (18) came 9th in his race in the Junior Men category, an excellent achievement for his first inter-wing competition. He took home a gold medal for being part of the winning team in the Junior Men category.

After competing against another 5 Wings in the Region, Durham & Northumberland Wing won two different categories and the trophy for the overall competition. Those cadets who finished in the top four will represent the Region at RAFC Cranwell next month.

Flight Sergeant Daniel Crowther (18) also from Hexham said "Every cadet showed maximum effort in each event and there was some very strong competition, a great achievement by all of the cadets who participated." Daniel was a reserve for the Junior Men team and assisted the many staff who organised the event to make it a successful day.

Silver Success for Hexham Cadets

Posted on 13th February 2010

10 cadets from 224 (Hexham) Squadron ran a gruelling 2.5 miles to represent their squadron in the 2011 inter-squadron cross country competition at Rising Sun Country Park.

The course is certainly not for the faint hearted and despite the cold weather several cadets finished in the top ten and even finished second in the under 17 men.

Cadet Toby Robinson (16) one of the newest cadets on the squadron said "I am so glad I finished in the top ten, I just need to win it next year!"

Squadron Commander, Flight Lieutenant David Elliot said "A fantastic achievement by all of the cadets who attended."

Each cadet put in maximum effort in competing against 35 other squadrons in the wing and it was rewarded with the Squadron coming eighth overall.

Two new senior cadets at 224 (Hexham) Squadron

Posted on 1st February 2010

Two (224) Hexham air cadets are now another step closer to gaining their BTEC in Aviation Studies as they become Senior Cadets.

Cadets Nick Thompson (15) and Alex Wordsworth (15) studied three different aviation related topics in order to pass their exams and move up a classification level. As senior cadets they now only have two more classification levels before reaching the final level of Instructor Cadet.

All cadets in the Air Training Corps work their way through a syllabus that covers topics from the history of flight to satellite communications, giving each cadet a well rounded knowledge of aviation and the Royal Air Force. Through this study cadets are awarded a nationally recognised qualification through the Cadet Vocational Qualification Organisation (CVQO) worth 2 GCSE's A*-C.

The BTEC in Aviation Studies is just one of three BTEC's cadets can gain whilst in the Air Training Corps, if all three are gained this is equivalent to 10 GCSE's. Achieving these awards in their own time shows dedication and commitment, valuable skills to add to their CV in addition to the qualifications.

224 (Hexham) Air Cadets Dine In

Posted on 24th January 2010

224 (Hexham) Squadron has just had it's annual dining in night; a formal evening meal which offers a chance to reflect on the past year and look forward to the opportunities on the horizon.

The Squadron was honoured with the presence of Flight Lieutenant Sheedy and Wing Commander Harris at the formal event who, after the meal of prawn cocktail, beef bourguignon and sticky toffee pudding, offered words of encouragement to the cadets. Wing Commander Harris reinforced that by putting more into the Air Training Corps and grabbing opportunities cadets could get more out of the organisation such as overseas trips and increased self-esteem.

Several speeches were made at the event, one of them by Cadet Warrant Officer Lucy Swinton (19) who will be leaving the squadron this summer. With a brilliant cadet career behind her Lucy talked about her trips to Singapore and Canada through the air cadets and her flight in a fast jet. Lucy will be a sorely missed member of 224 (Hexham) Squadron.

The event was organised by the cadet Civilian Committee of 224 (Hexham) Squadron that consists of cadets&lsquo parents and other local community members. As well as organising the social events in the cadet calendar they ensure that enough funds are raised to provide additional equipment and experiences to the cadets. All of the squadron would like to thank the Civilian Committee for organising the wonderful evening.