Imagine flying in a Chinook helicopter at the age of 15 or 16. That is the awe-inspiring exploit some cadets from our CCF RAF section were able to experience last month. After an early start, we arrived at RAF Benson on schedule for a literal flying start to the day and were fortunate enough to see some Chinooks taxing and flying a circuit before our exhilarating flight, wearing helmets akin to those seen in Top Gun.
There were several ground-based activities as well, such as static displays of ground support vehicles, including the Oshkosh Stryker fire truck, an intelligence support vehicle with the ability to expand its main body to create a mobile command center, affectionately nicknamed by the crew as the “Tardis,” air ambulance helicopters with clamshell hatches, and microlights and trainer aircrafts, with cadets having the opportunity to climb into the cabin of many of the vehicles.
Other, more interactive activities included a cooperative flight simulator, where each person in a team of 3 controlled a different axis of movement of the simulated aircraft! The results that ensued could only be described as initially chaos, before a better team dynamic developed and we were successfully avoiding crashing in the latter half. Other activities included First Aid competitions, drone flying, a VR volleyball match, aircraft recognition competition, clay pigeon shooting, and model bridge building.
There are few feelings more powerful than getting a fly past from a flight of the RAF’s newest fighter aircrafts, the F35s, only to be followed by an 80 year old legend of an aircraft – the Lancaster bomber – with the 31 meters wide aircraft flying at low enough altitude to be able to see the pilot clearly!
For anyone looking for some career advice about joining the military, there were several recruitment and outreach stands as well for expert advice, and the day ended with inspirational words from the station commander at RAF Benson, and a final fly-past by a Puma helicopter. A day truly to remember.
By Lcpl. Mukerjee (Year 12)
My experience at the Air Cadet Muster was nothing short of mesmerising. While the 5am wakeup call was unwelcome, the journey there, seeing the rolling hills of Oxfordshire as we drove to RAF Benson was definitely a pleasant sight for a coach full of sleep-deprived cadets. As we turned into Benson, we could feel the excitement. While waiting for the famed Chinook ride, we gathered with cadets from across the country, all anticipating an opportunity to fly on the beast of a helicopter.
After a few hours of milling around, cheering when we saw a new helicopter fly down, it was finally time. The moment we had waited all week for. A surreal experience, is the best way to describe the hour we spent, preparing, watching and finally riding the Chinook. Walking into the room where we were fitted with our helmets had a film-like quality and we could hear the roaring engines of the Chinook coming just a few minutes away. With the final safety checks on our helmets finished, we walked out. And it was there. Standing roughly 6m tall, blasts of hot and cold air from the engines and rotor blades greeted us as we boarded the helicopter. In the air, you forget everything. No worries, no fears, just flying above it all. The wind from the open door was bracing as I sat up, looking out of the small window. Cars were small models. People were no bigger than ants, but the fields stretched out for miles. Fields of green, dotted with small villages. We spent every second trying to capture the beauty of the aircraft and this flight.
Following a short turn, we slowly made our descent, cherishing every second that we spent in the sky. One smooth landing later, we disembarked and were greeted by people from the RAF cheering us on as we went to return our helmets. I will always remember this day. It may be in glimpses, or as a whole, but this day, from the deafening noises to the unbearable winds will be one of my most cherished memories.
By Arjun (Year 9)