Royal Air Force Air Cadets

Royal Air Force Air Cadets
ActiveSince 5 February 1941[1]
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeVolunteer Military Youth Organisation
HeadquartersRAF Cranwell
PatronThe Princess of Wales
Websitewww.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/ Edit this at Wikidata
Commanders
Commandant Air CadetsAir Cdre Al Lewis[2]
RAFAC WOWO Donna Hall RAFAC
Honorary Ambassadors
  • Wg Cdr Emma Wolstenholme RAFAC
RAF Air Cadets marching in a parade

The Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC) is the combined volunteer-military youth organisation sponsored by the Royal Air Force, which is formed by both the Air Training Corps and RAF Sections of the Combined Cadet Force.[3] The organisation is headed by a former serving RAF officer, Commandant Air Cadets. The current commandant is Air Commodore Al Lewis.[2]

Prior to 1 October 2017, the RAFAC was called the Air Cadet Organisation (ACO).[4] As of 1 April 2023, the ACO had a strength of 42,190 cadets and 10,070 cadet force adult volunteers.[5] Cadets are aged between 12 and 17 on entry to the organisation, and can remain until they are 18, or with special permission, until they are 20.[6]

  1. ^ "RAFAC timeline: 1941". RAFAC.
  2. ^ a b "New Commandant Royal Air Force Air Cadets announced". Royal Air Force Air Cadets. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Who we are". RAF Air Cadets. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  4. ^ "HM The Queen Approves New Commission For Cadet Force Volunteers". Air Cadet. Bourne: Warners Midlands plc. Winter 2017. p. 4. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  5. ^ "MOD sponsored cadet forces statistics: 2023". GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Join as a cadet". RAF Air Cadets. Retrieved 4 May 2019.