Royal Air Force Air Cadets
| Royal Air Force Air Cadets | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1 February 1941 -[1] |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Type | Volunteer Military Youth Organisation |
| Headquarters | RAF Cranwell |
| Patron | Duchess of Cambridge |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Honorary Air Commandant | The Duchess of Cambridge |
| Commandant Air Cadets | Air Cdre Tony Keeling[2] |
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The Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC) is a volunteer-military youth organisation sponsored by the Royal Air Force that manages both the Air Training Corps and RAF Sections of the Combined Cadet Force.[3] The organisation is headed by a former serving RAF officer, Commandant Air Cadets. The current commandant is Air Commodore Tony Keeling.[2]
Prior to 1 October 2017, the RAFAC was called the Air Cadet Organisation (ACO).[4] As of 1 April 2014, the ACO had a strength of 53,360 cadets and cadet force adult volunteers.[5] Cadets are aged between 12 and 17 on entry to the organisation.[6]
The RAFAC is made up of:
- Headquarters Air Cadets at RAF Cranwell
- Two National Air Cadet Adventure Training Centres
- 1009 Air Training Corps Squadrons in the UK and overseas
- 199 RAF contingents of the Combined Cadet Force
See also
- Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch)
- Air Experience Flight
- Volunteer Gliding Squadrons
- Air Defence Cadet Corps (1938–41)
- Royal Air Force boy entrants
References
- ^ http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/raftimeline1941.cfm
- ^ a b Myers, K. "NEW COMMANDANT FOR RAF AIR CADETS IS ANNOUNCED". RAF Air Cadets. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- ^ Air Cadets - Who We Are, raf.mod.uk, Accessed 7 December 2014
- ^ "HM The Queen Approves New Commission For Cadet Force Volunteers". Air Cadet. Bourne: Warners Midlands plc. Winter 2017. p. 4. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ gov.uk MoD - reserves and cadet strengths, table 8a and 8b, page 17-18. April 2014.
- ^ "Join as a cadet". RAF Air Cadets. Retrieved 4 May 2019.