Squadron
From Air Cadet Central Wiki
The Air Training Corps is divided into Squadrons. These are the basic units that goes to make up the ATC, and the point at which you will have joined the Corps, is the Squadron.
Contents |
Types of Squadron
There are two kinds of Squadron:
- Open Squadrons - formed within the local community with a membership
open to any young person approved by the Squadron Commander. The majority of Squadrons are open Squadrons.
- School Squadrons - formed within a school with a membership restricted
to either past or present pupils. Most school squadrons nowadays have relaxed the rules and opened their membership to any young person from the local area.
Squadron sizes
A Squadron will ideally have a minimum of 30 enrolled cadets and be run by Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training) (RAFVR(T)) Officers, ATC Adult Warrant Officers (AWOs), and Civilian Instructors (CIs). Some Squadrons may control a Detached Flight in an area where there are not enough cadets (30) to make a full Squadron.
Founder Squadrons
The first 50 squadrons formed are known as Founder Squadrons. These have an 'F' after their squadron number.
Squadrons in the wider world
An air force, army aviation or naval aviation squadron typically consists of three or four flights, with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, depending on aircraft type and air force. In the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second World War, three air squadrons were assigned to each air regiment. Some air forces (including the Royal Air Force and United States Air Force) also use the term for air force ground units.
