Australian Air Cadets to Compete in the Aerospace Challenge in the United Kingdom

Three members of the Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC) have been chosen to participate in the Schools Aerospace Challenge in the United Kingdom in July 2012. This will be the first time that Australian cadets will participate in the Challenge, which is run by the Royal Air Force and Cranfield University.  

Cadet Sergeant Eden Maynard of Brisbane, Cadet Sergeant Tiffany Chapman of Melbourne and Leading Cadet Dillon McGrath of Canberra were selected via participation in a rigorous training program held at RAAF Base Amberley in April. The cadets were assessed on their performance in a week of training, Defence Industry visits, and team presentations to a panel of senior officers.

Leading Cadet McGrath of 315 Squadron said, "The Schools Aerospace Challenge has been an amazing opportunity, provided by the Defence Materiel Organisation, to view companies and aerospace projects that very few people in the world get to see and to establish an interest in the aerospace industry."

The Challenge will provide the cadets with an opportunity to learn about aircraft and jet engines, take the controls of a helicopter and get airborne in the Jetstream flying classroom. They will also be given an opportunity to visit the Rolls Royce Aerospace Engine factory in Derbyshire and the Bletchley Park Computer Museum. In the 2012 Challenge, cadets must develop and present alternative solutions to the task of training pilots to operate a Remote Piloted Aerospace System. The team must collaborate on a six page technical paper before departure, overcoming their disparate locations to complete the task.  The AAFC team will spend a week at the Cranfield University Summer School Campus and will finish by presenting their technical solution to the Challenge problem to a panel of academics.

"Giving the actual presentation could be just as challenging to the cadets as developing the solution, because the judging panel will rigorously assessing each group”, said GPCAPT Warren Bishop, who will escort the cadets to the UK.

The program is supported by Defence Materiel Organisation's Industry Division, as part of their Skilling Australian Defence Industry Youth Engagement Program. 

For more information about Australian Air Force Cadets and how to locate a squadron, visit www.aafc.org.au

For further Information Contact:

Emma Williams Flight Sergeant (AAFC) - Public Affairs, Communications & International Activities Officer (PACIO), 3WG AAFC - 0477 323 749, pacio.3wg [at] aafc.org.au