CO's CORNER: Flt Lt Phil Powell What excellent news it is to have been granted full Squadron status. This is due to the hard work (and nagging) of the staff here at Chivenor but a big thank you must also go to the Cadets. Chivenor has over 50 Cadets in all and we have 35 attend on an average evening. The article on the right explains some of the advantages that Squadron status brings with it but basically it means that camp places and amenities that were shared by Barnstaple, Bideford and Chivenor can now be enjoyed by us as a full Squadron. So, please keep up the attendance and don't forget to invite your friends along for an evening to see what goes on at Cadets. We'll be able to offer a lot more now. Squadron Status- It's Official As of Aug 1st 1999 we ceased to be 1146 detached flight and were granted full squadron status. We have had over 50 cadets on the books at Chivenor for quite some time and have been waiting for this good news. The changes are far more than simply having a new number. Being a Squadron means that we will be able to bid for more places at camps, adventure week-ends and for air experience flying and we are already in the process of arranging to have our own armoury which means not having to borrow rifles from Barnstaple flight. We will also be able to enter sports, shooting and other activities in direct competition with other Squadrons and will surely be able to hold our own. Chivenor cadets have always been very strongly placed in local and national Cadet sports competitions and we look forward to keeping up this reputation at Squadron level. 722 was the Squadron number of the original North Devon Sqn which was based at Ilfracombe so we chose this number to retain the historical link. There has been an air cadet squadron at Chivenor for over 20 years. This month we welcome three new members of staff to the Squadron. Flt Lt Rich Mills is posted in as a pilot at 22 Search & Rescue Squadron here at Chivenor and brings with him his wife, Claire. They have both worked with HQ Air Cadets and are very familiar with the workings of the ATC at Squadron and HQ level. Richard and Claire also have experience in many fields including abseiling, climbing and adventuring. We also welcome Claire Johnson as a civilian instructor who, amongst other things, will be running the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. Claire is an ex army cadet and has completed the Award activities up to Silver level. What's Going On? Sunday 19th Sep: Battle of Britain parade, Exeter. Each year the Wing sends a contingent of cadets to march through the streets of Exeter followed by a short church service. This parade is classed a duty and all cadets are expected to turn out. Transport to and from Exeter will be provided and timings will be announced soon. Saturday 25th Sep: Rededication day. P/O Cole is nearing the end of the restoration of the Wellington bomber propeller that used to stand outside the RAFA club. We will be holding a rededication ceremony at its new home - outside the air cadet hut. The RAFA band will be in attendance and it is hoped that the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will flypast with their Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane and possibly a Hawk from RAF Valley. All parents and guardians are welcome. We will need all cadets at the hut by 12 noon with the ceremony at around 3pm. Sunday 26th Sep: Wing activity day, Blundells School, Tiverton. Many activities throughout the day including shooting, photography, art, drill, model diarama and aircraft recognition. Oct 8th-10th: Okehampton Camp. This camp still has to be confirmed but there is a poster on the noticeboard for names so that we have an idea of the numbers interested. Sunday 17th Oct: Sponsored bike ride from Chivenor to Torrington. Watch the noticeboard for details. 722@The.Net 722 Sqn now have their own web site on the internet. The site has been set up by CWO Mike Hoole. It has pages about the Red Barrows including pictures of this year's team and formations used in their routine. The site also has information on past cadet camps and members of staff (who you can E-Mail). There are also links to other Air Cadet web pages as well as the Royal Air Force careers page. You can also read or download copies of the Squadron newsletter. If you have any stories or articles that you would like included on the web site then pass them on to CWO Hoole on paper or disk. The address of the website is - www.free0021985.free4all.co.uk/atc/index.htm Subs (again) Some cadets have been falling behind with their subs payments lately. We have been allocating places to various activities like flying and camping to the cadets who are up-to-date with their subs payments as a way of deciding who goes when places are over subscribed. So keep up with your payments. The Squadron newsletters are written and produced by Ned Kelly. I try and produce one every 5-6 weeks but sometimes work commitment will delay this. I would like to ask anyone who attends any Sqn activity, be it a camp or a sports day, to write about it and pass it to me on paper or disk and I will include it in the next issue. Photos are always welcome. I will scan them and return the originals to you. Arlington Court: CI Brian Osborn Over the weekend of Aug 13th-15th, 13 cadets and 5 staff were involved in our annual pilgrimage to Arlington Court. This musical event, for which we are responsible for the car parking, attracts hundreds of people from all walks of life including rastafarians, hippies, hoppies and just plain weirdoes (and, of course, ordinary folk music lovers). On Friday 13th, camp was set up with the caravan, 12ft tent and ten 2-man tents for the cadets. This task went fairly smoothly and was completed by 8pm. After hot-dogs and a drink everyone walked the site to get their bearings and check out their duties for the early start in the morning. After a hearty breakfast of sausage, bacon, beans and egg at 7.15am the cadets and staff were briefed on their duties and responsibilities which involved manning the main gate, various car parks and of course the base camp. The 2-way radios crackled into life at 8.15 at the start of a 13= hour day. The weather turned out to be the usual mix of showers and sun as the crowds came in their droves. At 9.30 a rusty old Ford Fiesta pulled up to the main gate and a foreign gentleman spoke to myself and Cpl Shanes about some gate passes for a band whose name we couldn't comprehend. Whilst talking to him I noticed what looked like a shotgun in the footwell of the car. Later when P/O Cole did his walk around of the site I casually mentioned this to him. Wow! I wish I hadn't now. The next thing I knew the police had arrived followed by the armed response team (who couldn't stay because they got another job). To cut a long story short the gentleman turned out to be the catering manager and after his car was searched the shotgun turned out to be a toy rifle. At the end of a busy first day (about 10 o'clock) the cadets and some of the staff went down to the main arena to partake of some light refreshments, music and dancing. I, being well past my prime, decided to man the base tent and prepare the supper (hot dogs again). But by 11.15 I had had enough and decided to hit the sack. Sunday morning broke a little too early for some of the bleary-eyed staff and cadets but after a full cooked breakfast everyone turned to the matter of packing up the camp. Arlington court is a very arduous weekend and our thanks go to the cadets and staff who worked so hard through some difficult conditions. Last week three of our cadets, Claire Green, Chris Jordan and Paul Shanes attended the Junior NCO's course which was part of the Battle Camp at Okehampton. Congratulations to all three who successfully passed the course and I look forward to reporting on their success at the Senior NCO's course in the not too distant future.