DUNSTABLE AIR CADETS

460 (DUNSTABLE) SQUADRON WINS RAFA TOP FLIGHT AWARD

460 (Dunstable) Sqn cadets are flying high after their Red Arrows display at a local fireworks event scored them first place in the RAF Association’s Top Flight competition. The competition – open to Air Cadets, Girls Venture Corps Members and Combined Cadet Forces throughout the UK – was launched in 2005 to find the most innovative fundraising idea for the Association.
Entries were judged on creativity, effort, income per cadet and media coverage generated. The cadets from Dunstable Squadron put on a 'groundabatics' display, in November, entertaining the local crowds before Dunstable Town Council's fireworks display took place.

They dressed up as the Red Arrows and re-enacted the world famous team's display in nine miniature versions of the famous aircraft, which they had made themselves. They also raised more than £1,500 for RAFA in the process. To put together their plan, the cadets formed into teams similar to the ones in the real Red Arrows - the red team (the pilots) who performed the routines and the blue team (the engineers) who put the models together. A third team planned and filmed the sequence, spliced with actual Red Arrows film footage, using the practice tower at Dunstable Fire Station. After a lot of hard work, which took place mainly at evenings and weekends, they were able to put on their display.

The Officer Commanding Dunstable Squadron, Flt Lt Mick Bell said: “As well as a good show that raised a lot of money for this worthy cause, this has been a worthwhile project as part of the training provided to the cadets. Every cadet at the squadron has had an input, whether as a member of the display team or in the background constructing the aircraft or in the filming of the sequence.”

Now as their prize the cadets will get the opportunity to visit RAF Akrotiri in the Spring to meet the Red Arrows and watch them train for their summer air show season.

There were also a series of regional winners - Dunstable took the Central and East Region with runners-up 487 (Kingstanding and Perry Barr). The London and South East Region Winners were the 1075 (Camberley) Sqn and Wales and West Region Winners were 2364 (Welshpool) Sqn.

One of the competition judges, retired Warrant Officer Griff Griffiths, who is also the Membership Manager at RAFA, said: “The standard of entries for Top Flight were very high this year and I would like to thank the cadet squadrons for all of the hard work they put in – there were some really great ideas.”

Check out some of the project work that was involved to make the aircraft and some photos of the display

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