A Gold Star for 361 Squadron!

On the 11th August 2016, following an inspection by the North Region Health, Safety & Environment Advisor, 361 (Gateshead) Squadron was awarded a Gold Star Award for its contribution towards the Air Cadet Organisation Safety Management System.

The Gold Star is the highest level of award which can be achieved by an Air Cadet unit and our thanks to all those squadron members who made this possible.

High Flyers

On Wednesday, 29th June three cadets from 361 Squadron travelled to RAF Leeming for Air Experience Flying.

All three cadets had excellent flights in Tutor T1 aircraft and these included taking control of the plane as well as aerobatics for those cadets who enjoy being turned upside down!

 

 

 Pictured are Cadet Lee Irving, Corporal Luke Craig and Cadet William Fletcher before their flights.

New BTEC Awards

On Tuesday, 28th June Corporals Callum Tearney and Alan Klimczak were presented with their BTEC Level 2 in Teamwork and Personal Development in the Community certificates. 

These awards are available to all cadets over the age of 16 at no cost to the individual concerned and are an internationally recognised qualification which are generally considered equivalent to 4 GCSEs at A* to C grade.

New 361 Squadron Minibus

With help from the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, we have recently purchased a replacement minibus for 361 squadron and today collected the vehicle following the application of the graphics and Air Cadet branding which make it stand out from the crowd. 

 
(In case you are wondering, the aircraft on the side of a minibus is a Lockheed Martin F35B Lightning II which will be the next generation of fighter flown by both the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm.)

The minibus will be used for a wide range of activities, including Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions, Adventure Training, visits to places of interest, transporting cadets to Wing competitions and much, much more.

This weekend, for example, a group of cadets will be travelling in the minibus for Shotgun Clay Pigeon Shooting which is a sport which is becoming increasingly popular within the Air Cadet Organisation.

High Flyers

On Wednesday, 15th June three cadets from 361 (Gateshead) Squadron travelled to RAF Leeming for Air Experience Flying in Grob Tutor T1 aircraft belonging to No. 11 Air Experience Flight.

Although the weather was a little murky all three cadets learnt about flying circuits of the airfield and experienced multiple touch and goes on the Leeming runway and their pilot was no less than the Station Commander of RAF Leeming, Group Captain David Bradshaw MA BSC RAF.

Pictured are Cadets Megan Hillier, Alex Mos and Mikolay Kulik in front of the new RAF Leeming Gate Guardian, a Tornado F3 which until recently was the mainstay of RAF Air Defence (but now replaced by the Typhoon).

90 Glorious Years

Last weekend, cadets from 361 (Gateshead) Squadron were involved in a series of events held in Newcastle and Gateshead celebrating the 90th birthday of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

On Saturday Cadets attended a concert at Newcastle City Hall which celebrated in music and dance the decades of the Queens reign whilst on Sunday a parade was held in the Gateshead Millennium Bridge (the Blinking Eye) which involved the Navy, Army and all three of the Cadet Forces as well as many other organisations from the Tyne and Wear area.

Click here to see the television coverage of these events which were broadcast by the Made in Tyne and Wear TV channel.

New Squadron Adventure Training Equipment

Members of 361 (Gateshead) Squadron with the recently acquired Adventure Training equipment which will allow cadets from the squadron to participate in Expedition section of the Duke of Edinburgh Award over the coming months.

The three tents, six rucksacks and roll mats were purchased with the help of a grant of £1000 from the Viscount Ridley North of England Cadet Forces Trust which is administered by the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for the North of England to whom we are extremely grateful.