By John Wyman, EAA 462533, Chapter 266 Montreal
I’m often surprised how few parents know of the Air Cadet program in this country. That’s a real shame given its history and value. On several occasions, when parents have come to the flight deck and asked about “flying,” I’ve stated that I got my start with the program, and they look at me with wide eyes, completely clueless as to its existence. Whether this is due to a lack of marketing on the part of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) or the League or just the parents not knowing it is available to them for their kids, my opinion is that the word really isn’t out there and that it could be spread further. We are still very lucky that it exists at all, especially for its impacts on society (forming good citizens) and moreover to the benefit of the aviation sector in general. Recent times have been tough on the program (during the lockdowns) and its flying programs are only now recovering to previous levels. It is still one of the biggest youth movements, yet it is perhaps overshadowed by better known associations, like the Scouts or similar outdoor type teen-oriented programs. The CAF Cadet statistics report last year stated that there were 449 squadrons, comprising some 27,642 Air Cadets. Wow! The Air Cadet program has been around now for 84 years and has trained and influenced the lives of thousands of our kids, many of whom have gone on to become exemplary citizens.
I was prompted to write about the Air Cadets, in part, because I have been removed from the organization for quite some time, and I figured that an update was in order, with information from people in the know. To that end, I spoke to a long-standing sponsoring committee member with my old local squadron (690 Lakeshore, Montreal’s West Island/Pointe-Claire); a Cadet instructor/tow pilot who works the summer gliding camp in St. Jean, Quebec; and lastly Pierre Forgues, the executive director at the national office in Ottawa. They all passed along some helpful details. Each had similar concerns about the Cadet movement, namely, that the program suffered a big downturn post-pandemic, and it will take a while for it to recover to its heyday. I was told that there has also been a notable shift in parental involvement (less volunteers) within squadrons and that budgetary constraints (especially rents) threaten their existence. The good news is that for the moment (and, I suppose, for the foreseeable future) the government lets the military do their thing and they’re fully behind the show.
A good starting point to learn more about Air Cadets is the Air Cadet League website.
What caught my eye here was an up-to-date platform that has a cool video playing in the background (an L-19 towing a glider) and a complete history of the League if you take the time to scroll through the menu(s). Front and center, too, is a YouTube video from Chris Hadfield talking about his own experiences in Cadets — perhaps one of Canada’s most famous ex-Air Cadets. Well worth a watch.
They even have a squadron locator in the menu, which can find the nearest one for you to check out activities on a local level. Very practical.
The government also produced a quick video. Check it out here.
The Air Cadets is a large organization. It wasn’t conceived overnight. Many transformations have happened over the years. Perhaps, the biggest one (at least in my opinion) was the expansion of the gliding program from the late ‘60s through the early ‘70s. Gliding is what introduces the Air Cadet to flying. It is where I first got to fly and where many pilots before and since have earned their wings. I still think of my first solo as if it happened yesterday. I was 17 years young. It was late afternoon by the time I soloed (the sun just starting to set in the west), all of us working the morning through late afternoon (repositioning gliders) to get as many flights in while the good weather held. I released from the tow, directly into the sun, blinded momentarily while making a climbing turn to the right, to savvy the few extra feet that I might gain to make the flight 30 seconds longer — precisely the opposite to what the instructor drilled into our heads after releasing (“keep your nose down and watch that airspeed!”) — rebel that I was (maybe still am?) in the day. As I say, a great memory!
The Air Cadet program, including the flying program, is mostly funded by the CAF. The training syllabus is developed and administered by the CAF. All personnel that instruct cadets are now under the umbrella of the CAF, including CIC (Cadet Instructor Cadre) officers, civilian instructors, and volunteers. This is a change from the past when League volunteers also worked directly with the cadets. Today, the League volunteers work in the background and provide vital support to the program in accordance with a memorandum of understanding. The primary areas of support for the Air Cadet League are the provision of a fleet of gliders and tow aircraft, flight training and academic scholarships, and facilities, transportation, and other logistical resources when not provided by the CAF.
Volunteers
I highlighted volunteers above to bring attention to the fact that there are nearly 4,900 of them working in the League! Mr. Forgues explained to me (with an analogy of sorts) that the League is essentially the framework that keeps the team on the ice. As per a hockey team, if the fans only see that there are coaches and players on the ice (e.g., the coaches being the CAF and the players being the Cadets) then the League is an important part of the management behind the team, supporting every facet of its operation.
For me, the Cadets represented a reprieve from the stresses of regular school life, that, by comparison, seemed dull and boring without the focus and activities that they offered, for free! That means that no one is left watching in the stands. Everyone is a player. There (during weeknights), we were accomplishing something, be it drill and courses on Monday night parade, rifle practice on Tuesday, model building Wednesday, sports on Thursday and Friday, and finally Saturday to prepare for exams. Occasionally we’d even show off our stuff at parades or just hang out on Sundays tying up loose ends before we started it all again the next week. We stayed busy and enjoyed it while our officers and parents offered up their time to make it all happen. Ultimately, it kept us off the streets, producing good citizens… or, at least, I like to think that.
Gliders
Mr. Forgues, a former major general in the Forces, gave me some valuable insight into some of the larger problems facing the League. Overall, the League’s underlying strengths outweigh their problems, but there are major hurdles that they have to deal with — some of those, common to all not-for-profit organizations. These can be grouped into three main areas: Financial, Personnel, and Infrastructure. I was surprised to learn that the air fleet, owned outright by the League, has 81 gliders and 33 towplanes – with an approximate replacement value today of more than $6 million. Their operation is paid for by the military, and they are maintained to civilian airworthiness standards. In essence, the fleet is leased back to the military, with them picking up the tab and paying for the licenses. The structure to house and train the cadets is provided by the military. The gliders are used for flight familiarization and to train would-be pilots through ab initio-glider licenses.
Each candidate goes through a rigorous selection process. In the spring and fall, the gliders provide rides (hopefully) to all Cadets, introducing them to flying and also to further develop the skills of the newly trained pilots. In 2024, there were 103 Cadets who obtained their glider licenses (age 16 being the minimum) — down significantly from previous years when 300 Cadets were trained every year, primarily due to a reduction of the number of flight training centers reduced from five to two. For now, only Ontario and Quebec have gliding pilot programs with Cadets from other parts of the country attending those two camps.
Tough, rugged and hard to break — the Schweizer is the backbone of the gliding program along with a fleet of equally robust towplanes. This particular one has been in service since 1986 when my squadron donated it to the League.
Powered Aircraft
The thing that sold me on Air Cadets was the idea of getting my pilot license for free. It was that way in my day, and it still is. The military pays for the licenses — something that is, cost wise, prohibitively expensive for the League to pay for; however, the League is there in a supportive role to the whole program, coordinating the sponsors and running the execution of the programs. I skipped out on the first eligible year that I could join at 13 (for requiring short hair — yes, it was a lame excuse!) but when Dad mentioned that I could possibly get a scholarship and learn to fly… I was hooked and shaved! I am not even sure if short hair is still required (I believe the norms have been modified), but today the eligible ages to join are from 12-18 (aging out when they turn 19). Last year, the Air Cadet League and the military awarded 115 courses that trained new private pilots (age 17 being the minimum). This too was down from years past due to budget constraints and the feasibility of finding the commercial schools who can accommodate the cadets within their tight schedules. Forgues mentioned that this is an ongoing concern to the program, stating that finding the schools with the available slots is becoming difficult. One reason is that many schools are so busy training foreign pilots that there is no room for students just there for a private license, even if their stay at the school is a short one at around six weeks. He noted that at its peak in 2019, almost 1 percent of the Air Cadet population was awarded the coveted courses amounting to some 270 future pilots! In addition, some $51,100 was distributed to the new pilots last year, in the form of individual bursaries, to help them continue their flying and for pilot training achievement. An additional $60,100 for post-secondary education ($111,200 total!) was raised through corporate sponsors and private donations to aid the cadets in their post-summer curriculums in the pursuit of the excellence that they demonstrated toward meeting their goals.
Here a group of us study a map and use a flight computer to plot drift lines. That’s the message we were trying to get across, but it was completely staged for the camera! We looked focused, managing to refrain from laughing just long enough for the camera to capture the moment. The course was at Pem-Air in Pembroke, Ontario, in 1985. Left to right is Roberto Menard, Dave Scott, and myself. Of note is the E6B flight computer we are all pointing at and its case cover to the right of the frame. No… that’s not an iPad protector!
Glider and power scholarships aside, Cadets can offer our youths a structure and camaraderie that is difficult to find anywhere else. The benefactors are the aerospace industry and the communities at large. Our kids have a place to go and feel a part of something much larger than themselves, especially important in this age of social media. Our communities are made safer, getting them off the streets and out of the malls, and — more relevant today than ever — out of the house! Idle kids are kept busy with an array of programs that push good citizenship and morals that benefit all society. Their motto “To Learn, To Serve, To Advance” says it all.
Next month I’ll look further into the Cadets and expand on some of the issues facing the organization that I’ve touched on here.
John Wyman, EAA 462533, Chapter 266 Montreal, is a passionate aviator. When he isn’t in the saddle at the airline, he can be found out at the airfield doing any number of things. He likes to fly gliders, practice aerobatics, write, work on airplanes, and fix stuff.