Every year, cadets are given the opportunity to attend a camp on an operational RAF station. These camps last one week with the primary purpose of letting cadets see what life is like on an RAF Station. It is also an excellent opportunity to meet new friends and have a lot of fun.
You will sleep in RAF accommodation blocks, eat at the Junior Ranks mess and visit the various sections around the station, as well as take part in sports, orienteering and night exercises and any social activities which may be available. For most cadets this is the highlight of the ATC calendar.
Overseas Camps
Overseas camps work in the same way as UK based annual camps except that they take place in a different country. There are overseas annual camps open to cadets over the age of 15. The ATC currently run camps in Gibraltar, at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and also to Rhindalan Germany.
International Air Cadet Exchange
IACE (International Air Cadet Exchange) links air minded youth organisations across the world on a 15-day exchange visit each July and August. The first such exchange was in 1947 between the ATC(UK) and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. The Association is now 20 nations, exchanging some 600 cadets/adults annually with English as the common language. The UK exchanges 90 cadets annually with 15 different countries. Each year, UK cadets aged between 17 and 20 may apply for a position on this scheme and may be fortunate enough to be awarded one of the few places each year.
