Our route was 25km long but as that didn’t seem quite challenging enough, we decided to add an extra couple of kilometres (actually we took a wrong turn but let’s just pretend that didn’t happen!!). Other than that we completed the route without any real problems and despite the heat everyone finished and we were given a team award and medals for our efforts. Dinner back at the campsite was a very cheery affair as everyone celebrated the success of the day.

The following day involved a visit to the superb Airborne museum and another poignant visit to the military cemetery in Oosterbeek to pay our respects. Following that we headed off into the nearby town of Nijmegen for an afternoon out and dinner in a riverside restaurant.

On Monday we began the journey back to France and set up camp at our ‘beach front’ campsite….actually a bit further away than the brochure suggested but never mind, we settled in and prepared a barbeque dinner and relaxed ahead of the long journey home.

Tuesday saw the return ferry crossing and a lovely day to see the spectacular white cliffs before disembarking in Dover and heading for home again. The trip overall had been a resounding success and was enjoyed by all……hopefully the first of many and was the result of much hard work. Planning for next year’s trip will begin shortly…….check the gallery for some pictures of this trip.

On arrival at our own little piece of heaven (aka the campsite) we were greeted with swarms of flies and some very interesting smells……but a very peaceful and picturesque camp site with good facilities. Dinner was a very Mexican affair and after clearing up we quickly realised we had brought the British weather with us as we retired to our tents to avoid the thunderstorms!!

Today was a very different matter…the tour started in earnest with a very poignant and emotional visit to the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, a beautifully maintained tribute to the fallen heroes of World War II. From there we moved to the Arnhem War Museum for a very informative visit with partially guided tours from the volunteers there. After a few hours there and stopping the staff from buying rifles and shiney swords we moved into Arnhem for a quick bit of shopping before returning back to camp for dinner and social ttime. Tomorrow we participate in the Airborne Marches so more will follow then.

To keep up to date with the hilarious antics and some challenging questions follow us on Twitter at @Lancaster ATC or the realtime commentary at #airborne2012

The course starts in September with the applicants having to pass a series of tests at a selection weekend and ends in April the following year with a test week. Cadets must attend one weekend of training every 3 weeks at various locations around the UK and in the test week you are “deployed” into the field for a week and must put all of your training into the one week in which you will deal with various scenarios ranging from casualty evacuation to assaulting an enemy village.

The course itself is split up into 3 different phases with phase 1 compromising of the basic training before you are sent into the field. Phase 2 is where you are introduced to life in the field and start to actually put your training into practise whilst being taught some of the more practical elements of the course such as patrolling. Phase 3 is the test week whereby you are assessed and if you pass the course then you attend a graduation dinner at the Officers Mess in RAF Honington.

The course is extremely challenging and very mentally straining however it is also very rewarding and offers a unique experience for those who attend it. Throughout the course I personally found it very difficult to take all of the new information on board, and then be able to not only apply it in various different scenarios, but also lead a group of strangers who in some circumstances had more experience than I did. In addition, I found very difficult to keep focused outside of the course because you must constantly revise everything you have been taught as well as complete extra work, and this is especially distracting when you are studying for your exams at school and have commitments elsewhere.

Despite this I found the course to be extremely rewarding and one of the best experiences of my life. This is because some of the people I attended the course with have now become very close friends and the opportunities on offer are unique to the course. Some of the moments on the course I particularly enjoyed were being deployed into the field on test week by an RAF Merlin helicopter, the formal dinner at the Officers Mess at RAF Honington and going home to enjoy a proper hot shower and not having to eat any more ration packs!

Flight Sergeant Foxcroft.

Starting with a church service at Lancaster Priory, where the new Wing Banner was blessed, the cadets and staff of the Wing formed up and marched through the city centre. Taking pride of place at the head of the parade were the cadets of Lancaster Squadron. It promised to be a difficult and daunting affair with all the squadron’s NCO’s taking other duties in the banner party, but less experienced cadets pulled together and managed to lead the parade in style. All this after a morning of organising and preparing Lancaster for the biggest wing parade in recent memory.

The work wasn’t to finish, however. After the parade, as host squadron, the cadets were expected to serve refreshments in the town hall to all 650 participants, which was accomplished with no complaining and masses of commitment.

On behalf of all the squadron staff I would like say how proud and impressed we are of every cadet on the parade. It was plain for all to see how well they performed, managing to look better than most on what was, for the majority, their first parade.

Well done guys!

Adam Jackson

Sgt(ATC)

We went for our dinner at approximately 16:30 – The eating times were extremely hard to get into for the first few days. The first day was quiet, every squadron seemed to keep to themselves and nobody would integrate.

Straight after dinner we started a ‘FAMEX’ or Familiarization Exercise around the local area with small groups of cadets from our Flights, we were set questions and goals to complete as this was a task that went towards the scores for the ‘Best Flight Competition’

After the FAMEX we went to the beach to play sport (it was an interpretation of baseball). A Flight led by the fabulous Sgt Smullen (from 345 Sqn) beat B Flight marginally…22-8. With numerous home runs scored by myself, Sgt Smullen, Cdt Barker and Cdt McGrath J.

The Rest Of The Week Consisted Of:

• Dry Rifle Training- L98-A2
• Shooting- No.8 + L98-A2 Rifles
• Aircraft Recognition Competition
• Aerospace Management Exercise
• Wet ‘N’ Wild
• Trip To Hadrian’s Wall
• Night Exercise
• Drill Competition
• 202 Sqn Search & Rescue Visit
• Low Ropes Course
• Alnwick Castle Visit
• Social Night
• And some lucky cadets (Me, Sgt Smullen, Cpl Nicholson and Sgt Knight – 3 of those 4 cadets are from Lancaster Sqn) got a flight in a Seaking Search & Rescue Helicopter.

My Favorite Moment Of Camp:

The most enjoyable moment of camp and possibly the best moment of my life was when 4 of ‘The Best’ cadets on camp were given a flight in a Sea King Search & Rescue Helicopter. We flew over Alnwick castle where the rest of the cadets were visiting that day, and it brought me and the others great satisfaction to wave at the cadets from the open door of the Sea King. The flight was only 20 minutes long but felt a lot longer.

My Least Favorite Moment Of Camp:

Was losing the drill competition to our rival’s B Flight. All week we were favorites to win the competition and were very confident, however nerves on the day lead to a few errors and resulted in the loss of the competition. We weren’t fazed by this for long, as A Flight’s attitude was that B Flight had to win something at some time.

By Cdt Wilkinson K

When you are in the Grob Tutor you will usually get the opportunity to do aerobatics (I do it every time). It is amazing! Sometimes the pilot will ask you to follow him through on the aerobatics. If you are lucky the pilot may ask you to do the aerobatics (I have never done this but other cadets have and they say it is amazing).Then the pilot did “10 touch” and goes, but finally decided to land. As we were on the taxi way I felt a bit sick so the pilot opened the canopy for some fresh air and as he opened it there was cold air flooding into the cockpit because the propeller was acting like a massive fan, this was a lovely feeling!

On the coach journey home everybody was tired so most people fell asleep, when we arrived at the drop off point our parents pick us up and we went home – exhausted but eager to do it again.

Cdt Wilkinson J

It takes place mid-July and is probably the hardest thing a cadet will ever do – but it’s by far the best. This was my first year participating in the marches and it was a severe shock to the system, from the first training session (which is in October the year before!) all the way to the marches itself. But after all the training and completion of the qualifiers in Garelochhead and Cosford, you become prepared and ready for the gargantuan task of 25 miles a day, for four days in a row.

 On the 16^th July 2011 the Cumbria & N. Lancashire Wing Marching team flew out to Amsterdam and we got to Camp Heumensoord just a few hours later, which is where we were staying for the next week. The marches commenced only two days later when we had to get up at 2am for breakfast – and to get out onto the road. All 14 of us were coping well for the first 2 days, but by day 3 the 1 million people that lined the streets were desperately needed to raise the morale of the blistered, tired and sweaty cadets… A few team duets with the Dutch and Canadian military helped of course (singing is the key to keep everyone going while out marching!)

By the fourth day everyone was tired but eager to finish, and we did so in a rapid time unmatched by most of the British Army and RAF teams who were there! After collecting the medals a march-past through the city of Nijmegen was done by the whole of the British Military Contingent – us included. There is no feeling quite like the one you get when countless people applaud you for completing the march – and it’s one of the many reasons I’m planning on going again next year. It’s just amazing!

Sgt Joshua Smullen

For Christmas every year cadets hold a party before standing down over the Christmas holidays to celebrate the festive season. We as cadets get to chose what we do. The activities vary from ice-skating, bowling, Trafford centre or laser quest (magazone but better). This year we decided to have a little party having pizza delivered and setting up Wiis and Xbox 360s on the overhead projectors, which was extremely fun! We brought down sweets, snacks and drinks too.

It was a very enjoyable evening and if we didn’t want to play on the games we went outside and had a massive snowball fight! I was rubbish but just taking part was fun even though I got creamed… in this case iced!

It went on from 7 till 11 and for those 4 hours that was the best fun I have had in a while!

Cdt Nicholson N

Sports at Lancaster and Morecambe College are the best for matches and full on games. At the Collage we play games like hockey, football and basketball. My favourite is basket ball because I am good at it compared to the rest, sometimes it gets very good because some cadets and staff get very competitive and it makes it a really good game, it makes it more fun I and the other cadets enjoy it very much. The college supply’s the equipment and I think it is an enjoyable evening.

By Cdt Nicholson

Sport at the University of Lancaster is very fun they have a fun range of activities and sometimes you can pick and chose! You only have to pay a small fee because squadron cannot provide the money because they are not made of it.

Swimming if fun you can play games with your friends at cadets or you can relax and float around a bit.

Squash with cadets can get very competitive or you can just have a little game of your own. When I play squash I try my hardest but it keeps hitting me, I don’t think I am very good at it but you can play if you are good or not.

Aero ball is really fun you bounce about on a trampoline and try and hit a ball in people’s corners I find this very fun and I love bouncing!

Climbing is my favourite, the university has a large climbing wall and I love climbing, the first time I found it a bit hard but once I got the hang of it I loved it

If you join cadets the sports is something to look forward to.