No. 8 Air Experience Flight RAF

No. 8 Air Experience Flight
Grob Tutor aircraft flown by 8 AEF
Active	8 September 1958 - Present
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	Royal Air Force
Branch	Royal Air Force Air Cadets
Role	Training
Part of	University of Birmingham Air Squadron
Garrison/HQ	DCAE Cosford
Commanders
Officer Commanding June 2012 - Present	Flight Lieutenant Jonathan Price
Former Officer Commanding 2001 - 2012	Flight Lieutenant David Fowler
Aircraft flown
Trainer	Grob Tutor

No. 8 Air Experience Flight (8 AEF) is an Air Experience Flight based at RAF Cosford.

History

8 AEF was formed in October 1958 at Cosford, later moving to RAF Shawbury in 1960. It then returned to Cosford in 1978, moved again to Shawbury in 1979 and finally back to Cosford, where it has remained since April 1996. From 1 April 1996, it has been parented by the University of Birmingham Air Squadron, and they are equipped with 5 civil registered, Grob Tutor 115EA Mk 1s which are provided and maintained by Babcock, formally VT Aerospace.

Background

No. 8 Air Experience Flight is one of twelve Air Experience Flights run by the Air Cadet Organisation of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in the 1950s, along with the other AEFs, with the aim of teaching basic flying to members of the Air Training Corps, Combined Cadet Force (RAF Section) and occasionally, the Girls Venture Corps Air Cadets and the Air Scouts. It is based at DCAE Cosford and is used primarily and is parented by the University of Birmingham Air Squadron (UBAS).