Beavers get a taste for flying

On Tuesday 1st March, 1st Lindfield Beavers visited Haywards Heath Air Cadets to undertake their Air Activities badge.

To complete the RAFCT sponsored badge the Beavers made paper aeroplanes, learnt to a spell their names phonetically, learnt about RAF aircraft and had the opportunity to sit in the Squadron's Bulldog aircraft where they learnt about the controls can got to try them out hands on.

The Bulldog in a former life was used for basic flying training of RAF pilots and used for Air Experience Flights for Air Cadets. Since it retired from the RAF it has been a gate guardian at 172 Squadron and in recent years a team of cadets have started refurbishing the aircraft.

Learning engineering and project management skills whilst converting it to a ground instructional airframe for use training cadets, promoting an interest in aviation and the RAF and providing an interactive experience that can be taken to shows events not normally accessible to aircraft. Trevor Cooper, 1st Lindfield Beaver Leader said "The beavers could not stop saying how cool every thing was. They where so inspired. My own son now says he want to be in the air force when he grows up."

172 is very grateful for the funding received from the RAF Charitable Trust that has supported the purchase of a custom built trailer that allows the aircraft to be taken to local schools, fetes and air shows to allow more young people to get a hands on experience of aircraft.