Royal Air Force Air Cadets and Royal Aeronautical Society sign Co-operation Agreement

The Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC) and the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) are pleased to announce the signing of a Co-operation Agreement between the two organisations to formalise their historic relationship.

As part of the Agreement, cadet graduates of the RAFAC Qualified Aerospace Instructors Course (QAIC) and other Scholarships will receive free Affiliate membership of the RAeS, and all Cadet Forces Adult Volunteers (CFAV) will be able to join the RAeS with no application fee.

Each year, two QAIC graduates will be given places on the RAeS Young Persons Committee, allowing for a flow of knowledge and ideas between the two organisations at the next generation level allowing for more opportunities to collaborate and work together on areas such as sustainability, talent attraction and retention as well as the future shape of the Society in the decades ahead.

All members of the Society, including Affiliates, gain access to careers advice together with support for a variety of training through the Aeroversity platform. The Society also helps with education choices, apprenticeships and degree programmes.

Finally, both parties will work together to support each other’s outreach work, at events such as the Royal International Air Tattoo, and the RAFAC National Air and Space Camp as well as strengthening the links between Squadrons of the Air Training Corps, RAF Contingents of the Combined Cadet Force, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons and the RAeS’ Branch network.

Air Commodore Tony Keeling OBE, Commandant of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets, said:

“I am delighted that the Royal Air Force Air Cadets has been able to enter into an agreement with the Royal Aeronautical Society, formalising an enduring relationship between these two historic organisations. This agreement will see many hundreds of senior Air Cadets each year being invited to be members of the Society, growing the body of young members and contributing to a range of the Society’s esteemed committees. I am hugely grateful to the Royal Aeronautical Society President, Trustees and Chief Executive Officer for their enthusiasm in embracing this opportunity for mutually beneficial collaboration”.

Air Commodore Peter Round RAF (Retd), President of the Royal Aeronautical Society, said:

“We’re very pleased to be providing further opportunities for members of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets to join and contribute to the work of the Royal Aeronautical Society. We will, in return, continue to support the RAFAC with careers advice and training opportunities. There are close links between the Air Cadets and the Society, particularly at a Branch and Local Squadron level, and we look forward to encouraging their Qualified Aerospace Instructors Course and scholarship cadets in their careers in aviation, aerospace and space”. 

Source: Royal Aeronautical Society