No. 10 Air Experience Flight RAF - Permanent Staff

Permanent Staff

10 AEF has a team of pilots who fly the cadets; they must have 200 hours recorded as a pilot within the RAF, Fleet Air Arm or Army Air Corps. Most are drawn from the RAF. Pilots apply to join an AEF through Headquarters Air Cadets and undergo security and Criminal Records Bureau checks (which all ACO adult staff have every four years). If accepted, pilots serve a four year tour and have to repeat the checks if they wish to carry on for further tours. A pilot may continue with an AEF until he or she is aged 67, although after 65 renewals may be requested on an annual basis. On appointment pilots will be commissioned (if not regular pilots) as Flying Officers in the RAF Reserve, resulting in several senior and air officers holding the rank of Flying Officer for work with AEFs and a much higher rank for other duties. 10 AEF also has several Flight Lieutenants, one of whom is appointed the Officer Commanding (OC). Past AEF flight commanders have held the rank of Squadron Leader.

10 AEF is assisted by a team of Survival Equipment Fitters (occasionally referred to as Squippers), from Babcock International; all have previous regular military service. Their responsibilities are to service the aircraft, issue the cadets their flying equipment and to check the cadets are secured into the aircraft.

Occasionally 10 AEF receives holding officers from the RAF waiting for their trade course to start. For their tenure at the AEF they are generally placed on the Flight Staff Team, or if an officer is undergoing pilot training and has already completed some of his pilot training, he will sometimes fly cadets.