Three cadets from 121 (Nuneaton) Squadron have reached the peak of their Air Cadet academic training syllabus by gaining their Staff Cadet classification.

Flt Lt Ian Crewe presented Sgt. Alice Hartopp, Cpl. Page Howett and Cpl. Scott Mainwairing with their yellow Staff Cadet lanyards following their successful completion of the Warwickshire & Birmingham Wing's Staff Cadet Part 2 training Course.

The Staff Cadet Part 2 course run by the Wing, is designed to enable those cadets who have completed their own formal aviation based academic training, to start to take a more active role in the running of their Squadrons and the training of younger cadets.

Since joining the Squadron Alice, Page and Scott have studied a comprehensive range of aviation based examinable subjects starting with Airmanship, Principals of Flight and Basic Navigation which earned them their Leading Cadet classification. They studied Propulsion and Aircraft Handling for Senior Cadet before taking Airframes and Operational Flying for their Staff Cadet Part 1.

Having successfully worked their way through the Air Cadet training classifications Alice , Page and Scott have also qualified for their BTEC in aviation studies, an award which is the equivalent to 2 GCSEs at grade C and above.

Flt Lt Paul Hincks Training Officer for 121 (Nuneaton) Squadron said, “ Having qualified as Staff Cadets, Alice, Page and Scott have now completed all of their own formal Air Cadet academic training and are ready, under the supervision of squadron staff, to assume responsibility for various Squadron activities and to take on a more active role in the training of younger cadets.”

He added, “The award of the Staff Cadet lanyard is a major milestone in the career of any Air Cadet and it doesn't mean that their own training is at an end. Alice , Page and Scott will have plenty of opportunity within the Air Cadets to undergo further training which will help them to develop as young leaders, learn new skills and gain additional qualifications.”