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Part of the Air Cadet Organization (ACO) which also includes RAF Sections of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF), the Air Training Corps is a voluntary youth organization supported by the Royal Air Force.

With almost 41,000 members, aged from 13 to 20 years, within over 1,000 Squadrons, the ATC is one of the country's premier youth organizations and the world's largest youth air training organization. The Cadets are supported by a volunteer Staff of nearly 10,000 plus 5,000 Civilian Committee Members.

The Air Training Corps is also the largest operator of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme

Perhaps that's not so surprising when you learn that HRH Prince Philip is the ATC's Commodore-in-Chief, taking a keen interest in the organization and its members.

Air Cadets get the opportunity of flying in RAF and commercial aircraft - many progressing to achieve Flying Scholarships and their Private Pilots Licence (PPL).

The Corps, which has charitable status, is not a recruiting organization but many members do go on to have careers in the Royal Air Force, other Services or civilian life. Currently approximately 34% of all aircrew (pilots, navigators and NCO aircrew) and 20% of Officers are ex-Cadets.

Shooting

Cadets at all levels of the Air Training Corps have the opportunity to participate in the sport of rifle shooting. Since the ATC was originally a recruiting organisation for the Royal Air Force it made good sense for marksmanship to be on the training syllabus. Shooting remains one of the most popular cadet activities.

A "range" is a location designed so that people can take part in shooting under controlled conditions and ranges come in many shapes and sizes. Initially, shooting takes place with the target 25m from the firer, either on a 25m indoor range or a 25m barrack (outdoor) range. As the firer advances through the weapons they will start to shoot at ranges of 100m or more.

Safety is paramount with all ATC activities and shooting is certainly no exception. Training is an integral part of the system and each cadet is fully trained in whichever rifle they will be using. Supervising staff are similarly trained to deal with any eventualities and to ensure that the range is run safely and efficiently. All rifles are fired from the prone position (the firer is lying on their stomach) at static, targets.

Adventure Training

Adventure Training forms an essential part of the Air Cadet's training syllabus. As well as helping cadets forge new friendships, adventure training enables all cadets to show off their leadership qualities. There is a wide ranging Adventure Training syllabus in the ACO - depending on the squadron you attend, you could try your hand at watersports, skiing.

Sports

Air Cadets from the ATC participate in sports at various levels, gaining recognition for themselves, their Squadron, Wing, Region and can even be selected to represent the Corps.

As well as the sports featured in this section, there are also a huge variety of other sports participated in at Squadron and Wing levels including 5-A-Side, Table Tennis, Volleyball and many more. These tend to be played more for local pride and fun rather than being truly competitive; it does not matter if your not designed to be the next Olympic star. The opportunities are there, enjoy yourself!

Duke of Edinburgh

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme is a voluntary, non-competitive programme of practical, cultural and adventurous activities for young people aged 14-25.

The Award programme consists of three levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each have differing criteria for entry and the level of achievement necessary to complete each award.

Air Cadets who meet the age criteria can join the award scheme.

Each award is broken down into 4 areas (5 for gold) which participants must complete successfully to receive their award. These are:-

Service
Helping others in the local community.

Expeditions
Training for, and planning of a journey.

Skills
Demonstrate ability in almost any hobby, skill or interest

Physical Recreation
Sport, dance and fitness.

Residential Project
(Gold Award only) A purposeful enterprise with young people not previously known to the participant.

The Award is widely recognised by employers as it helps demonstrate that award holders are keen to take on new challenges, have a higher level of self confidence than their counterparts, have leadership qualities with the added experience of teamwork.

Above is an overview of what the ATC does, for more in depth info please look at the ATC Main page - here