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 Windermere 09Paul Mooney on Thursday 03 December 2009 - 13:14:48 | Comments are turned off for this item Windermere 09 Matthew Forsyth On the 10th of October, David Taylor, Matthew Pryce, John Allan and I went on an adventure training week in Windermere in the Lake District. We did loads of activities but also duties such as cooking, washing up and cleaning.When we arrived on Saturday afternoon we unpacked and started getting to know people from other squadrons. When I went into the kitchen I noticed whiteboards hanging on the wall with the activity groups and domestic duty groups that we were in. On Sunday we split into our separate activity groups and were transported by minibus to some hills near Grizedale Forest. We started beside a disused quarry for a hill walk using navigation skills. This gave me a chance to use what I had learnt on the Duke of Edinburgh expedition in order to find out where we were and where to go next.On Monday our group went to the same quarry for rock climbing. After our instructor set up the safety ropes we separated into threes. Graham went first and he worked extremely hard but eventually stopped about two-thirds of the way up. Sarah went next. Although she was much smaller, she still managed to get halfway before she got stuck. Through advice and teamwork she achieved her goal and reached the top of the rock face. I was next. I had seen the places that made the others struggle and now knew exactly what I had to do. I found some good footholds and stretched until I could grasp the cracks above me, I eventually made it to the top. I enjoyed rock climbing and want to do it again now I am back. On Tuesday our group went to Grizedale Forest to do orienteering and mountain biking. We headed off in search of the first marker and we walked for about two minutes when we realised we had made a mistake so Dan and I went back, that was the only mistake made the whole day and we finished about 50 minutes early. After lunch we got kitted up and headed off. We did some braking exercises going down a hill first. After some good downhills and a struggle uphill we did some wheelies in case a tree had fallen across the path. We cycled through four metre long puddles that soaked your feet and sprayed muddy water onto your face. Later we came to some technical sections and needed to use all of the skills we had learnt to keep our wheels straight in between rocks, go down loose rocks without the brakes skidding and to pick lines through the rocks without crashing or falling off. We managed everything and no one crashed at any point so in those respects it was a success! Wednesday was the one day everyone was dreading as we had been told that we were going on a giant hill walk. The one thing that kept us going was the promise of a great view once we reached the summit. This left us disappointed however as when we reached the top, we found ourselves surrounded by thick fog. But we managed to set bearings, get exactly where we wanted to by using them and we arrived five minutes before our estimated time. On Thursday the whiteboard read “Padre’s Hour” and we all feared the worst. The staff kept saying that they had got a local padre who is really nice. Only when we stopped at a local park we were sceptical of who this padre might be. The adult sergeant took off her fleece, she wore a paper dog collar and we understood. Not a man talking about God, but team building exercises. First, we got a section surrounded by ropes with bags in the middle which symbolised land mines. We had to guide your partner across the field blindfolded. We won. Next task, a big rope was placed in the centre of us with loops for our right hands, the rope was in knots and we had to get out, one move at a time. We also finished this task first. After lunch we did kayaking. We learnt basic skills, paddling forwards, backwards, sideways and how to stop. We raced but I capsized straight away in very slimy green water and came up with green slime over my face. My kayak took ages to empty. Then we tried to stand up in the kayaks, tried to touch our noses on the noses of the kayaks and toes to the tails of the kayaks. Then we stood on the front but I fell in again! I was very wet when we returned to the centre.On Friday we went to Go Ape but we had trouble getting there due to a car crash the night before. Once we finally got there after a few hours we put on harnesses and did some safety training. The trail was really long and we did a lot of climbing up ladders, walking across obstacles, crawling through tunnels and lots of zip slides including one at the end. There were lots of Tarzan impressions from the other cadets. I really enjoyed it. We got certificates and stickers for completing the trail. There were no activities on Saturday as we had to pack up to leave for home and complete our duties in time to leave. I had an amazing week in Windermere. The activities were great and I met some new friends from other squadrons. I would love to go back again and I advise any junior cadets to put their name down for any similar camps. RAF Akrotiri. (Easter Camp)Paul Mooney on Tuesday 09 June 2009 - 12:00:24 | Comments are turned off for this item Date: 28th March – 6th April 2009 I recently had the opportunity to attend my first overseas camp and had a fantastic time. We were kept busy throughout the camp with a range of interesting and exciting activities. We went flying with 84 Squadron Search and Rescue in their Griffin helicopters, and flew all over the base, where we could see the various airfield activities from above. The pilots gave us a really fun time, flying out over the sea, and doing various maneuvers such as climbing really fast, and then diving back to below were we were before. We also visited Olive Harvest, the American U2 Stealth Reconnaissance jet unit, being one of a small group ever privileged to see it, let alone have the chance to ride in the chase car to help talk the pilot down. After, we were allowed to talk to the pilot, to ask him about his experiences and about the plane. On one day, we travelled to the UN Line, which is the no-go zone between Southern Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Cyprus. The UN set up this line to help maintain peace after the Turkish invasion in the 60’s. We got a tour down a small part of the line, and it was really interesting, as well as a bit scary! The two groups are still technically at war, so we had to be careful not to do anything that would upset anyone. Later that day we crossed the border into the north, and spent a few hours in Nicosia. One of our station visits was to the REME, the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, who have a major role in various engineering projects, such as vehicle recovery. Our task when we got to the training area was to flip an upside down truck that rolled down a hill. We had good fun using the equipment, and of course turning over a huge truck was pretty cool. As well as the station activities, we had some social nights booked. Over two nights we had a go-karting tournament, as well as going into the local village a few times, for kebabs and karaokes! There were over fifty cadets from all over Britain, and the nights were ours, so there was lots of opportunity for fun and socialising. Overall the camp was a great experience, and one that I would love to do again. We learned a lot and made a few great friends. I would definitely recommend this to any cadet looking to experience an overseas camp. From: Cpl Gareth Pulham Scotland & Northern Ireland Regional Swimming CompetitionMain Admin on Sunday 19 October 2008 - 17:00:00 | Comments are turned off for this item On the 19th of October 2008 Cadet Nicole Bath and I got through to the Inter Wing Swimming Competition held at HMS Caledonia, Rosyth. Representing, not only 859 Squadron, but also representing Dundee & Central Scotland Wing. I was entered in the Junior Girls Medley Relay Team, swimming the freestyle leg, our team came 1st and won Gold.Nichol and I were entered in the Junior Girls Freestyle Relay Team, I swam the 1st leg and Nichol the 3rd, we won by a clear length from the other teams. I was over the Moon with winning two Gold medals, Nicole also getting a Gold and we will both get a Wing Sports Blue. I was then informed that I had been selected to for the Regional Squad. The Corps Swimming competition will take place at RAF Cranwell on the 22nd of November. I will be representing Scotland and Northern Ireland Region, against the other UK ATC Regions, “How cool is that!!”. Report by Cadet Samantha Holland Great report Samantha. Well done everyone and good luck. Paul Go to page >> News Categories |
