The first point that I would like to get across is that the ATC is not all about standing out in the pouring rain with a short fat bloke in a stupid hat shouting instructions at you. Obviously there is a degree of discipline, the ATC is a military organisation,but it is not the only thing that the ATC do. In the last six odd years I have done everything from canoeing to shooting to going to Germany for a week.

The advantage of the ATC is that they have all the expertise, qualified instructors and willingness to run a huge variety of events. In the coming months pictures of some of the events which cadets from 511 have taken part in will appear on this site. To give an example of just how many different things that it is possible to get up to I have decided to list all the things that my brother and I have taken part in.

Drill (not a good start but as I said it does happen), Football, Rugby, Swimming, Athletics, Cross Country, Shooting (.22 and fullbore), Camps at RAF stations all over the UK, Camps in Germany, Flying (Chipmunks, Bulldogs,Sea King Helicoptors), Bowling, Carting, Weeks away in places such as Windamere and Derbyshire, Night Exercises (where we all run around shout at each other and generally have fun!), Adventure training camps such as Barnham and Proteus.

That's only two people!

Other possible activities include Netball, Hockey, Sking, Giding, Camps in Cyprus, Rock Climbing and abseiling and this year my brother is taking part in a Flying Scholarship which will give him nearly half the flying time needed to qualify for his Private Pilots License. You can also qualify to the same level in Gliding.