Parachuting
Parachute Courses are offered to cadets each year at the Joint Services Parachute Centre RAF Weston-on-the-Green near Oxford. This Wing is usually allocated one place from Region so competition to gain a place is high. You have to be 16yrs or over and physically fit.
The course lasts 5 days during which you are taught all the basic drills to cope with the leaving of an aircraft, what to do during the decent, how to land properly and of course dealing with emergencies. All this is done in a hanger before you do the real thing. At the end of the ground training and you are of the standard required, you should (weather permitting) make 2 static line descents from an aircraft. All instruction is with qualified service parachute instructors.
Dates for these courses usually come out around March each year and requests for nominations go to squadrons about 8 weeks before the start of the course. Your CO can give you more detail of this course or you can look it up for yourself in ACP 20A ACTI No 85 para 18
Hang Gliding/Paragliding
The Air Training Corps offers cadets the opportunity to obtain the Elementary Pilot Certificate standard for Hang Gliding.
These courses are offered to cadets of 16yrs or over and are over an 11 day period at the Joint Services Hang Gliding Centre, Crickhowell, South Wales. This Wing is usually allocated one place each year from the Region's allocation. On this course qualified instructors will teach you how to manoeuvre the glider by shifting your body weight, how to get airborne and all safety aspects of hang gliding.
The cost for a course in 2005 was £80 per cadet and £30 for incidental - cheap compared with a civilian run course.
Off Shore Sailing
16 + and medically fit, cadets who want to try off shore sailing need to have an RAF swimming Proficiency.
Outward Bound
Cadets need to be 16 - 20 years to take the Outward Bound course, they also need to be physically fit and have an RAF Swimming Proficiency.
Skiing
This Basic Winter Training Course takes place in the Oberammergau areas of Southern Germany and Austria during March/April each year.
The aim of the course is to teach novice skiers the skills of Alpine Skiing and Ski Touring. The Course can also accommodate a few skiers up to intermediate standard. This exciting and challenging course will help you to develop personal confidence and leadership skills. Four houses in Oberammergau with twin or triple bedded rooms will accommodate 9 cadets and 1 staff for the 7 days. Breakfast, packed lunch and afternoon tea will be provided at each house with the evening meal taken in a local restaurant. The cost is around £350.00 each.
To be eligible for this course you will need to be 16 years of age or over and physically and mentally fit to cope with this strenuous course.
The Nordic Skiing course takes place during January each year at Zwiesel South Germany. The Nordic Skiing course is in fact a "cross- country" skiing exercise at which you can be assessed and graded for an International Langlauf Award.
To be eligible for this course you will need to have reached the age of 16 years by the first day of the course, have a current full passport and be physically fit to undergo this strenuous course.
Beginner - 15 and over (in the Cairngorms)
Nordic -16 and over, medically fit (in Zwiesel)
Basic Winter Training Course - Subject to special arrangements (in Oberammagau)
