Blog – Page 3 – 29 SQN ATC

February 15, 2021March 9, 2021Uncategorized

NOTICE: 29 SQUADRON @ COVID-19 LEVEL 2

Kia ora: As per the announcement made by government at 1615 hrs Fri 05 Mar 21, Rotorua has returned to Covid-19 Level 1 starting at 0600 hrs Sunday 07 Mar 21.

Tena koutou katoa

To all Officers, Staff, Cadets, Parents, Caregivers, USC members, and visitors:

29 Squadron will parade on Wednesday nights with the restrictions and procedures outlined below. All other operations, activities, exercises, and fundraisers are suspended until further notice.

BEFORE YOU COME

If your child feels unwell for any reason, please keep them home. Cadets must apply for medical leave online here https://29squadron.org.nz/leave/ or by contacting the ADJ
If you or your child are in any way uncertain or concerned, please consider contacting Unit Commander FGOFF Poihaere Knight for more information.
Wearing masks is not mandatory. Officers, staff and other cadets may not wear masks. However, anyone who wishes to wear a mask is encouraged to do so.
Everyone has been encouraged to have the COVID-19 Tracer App on their phones. Please scan the Tracer App QR Code displayed on the unit door before you enter. If you can not scan with the App, please sign the manual register by the door.
All personnel is to enter and leave through the main hall door only.

WHILE YOU ARE THERE

We will return to Social Distancing. Practically that means we keep 2 meters apart in any space. In classrooms there will be a limit of one person per desk
SS Joseph will introduce social distancing during parade. This will provide an exciting extra challenge.
Between sessions, cadets will clean their own desk surface with provided disinfectant.
Instructing staff (of any rank – or no rank at all) will wipe down what they have touched as well as common areas such as light switches and door knobs.
Toilets will be wiped down hourly. People using the toilet are encouraged to wipe down any surface they have been in contact with before returning, and then wash hands.
Cadets that clear out all the rubbish bins at the end of the night should immediately use hand sanitiser afterwards
Officers and Staff are encouraged to use other offices to follow social distancing requirements by spreading out

All the above aside, and as you know from previous experience, it’s business as usual.

In the word’s of FGOFF Knight:

“We can do anything that we set our minds to. See you on Wednesday! Noho Ora mai”

February 2, 2021February 2, 2021Uncategorized

See you tomorrow

Go on. Come see us at 23 Geddes Road behind Big Save Furniture. 2021 is going to be unprecedented. You won’t regret it.

January 30, 2021January 30, 2021Uncategorized

2021 Term 1 working bee

The weekend before the first Parade Night of 2021 is a good time to have a stock-take and a good clean and maintenance session – otherwise called a Working Bee.

29 Squadron is thankful to its families for their support, and the parents, supporters, and cadets for the hard work.

Hundreds of kilos of scrap metal was taken to Macaulay Metals (good for the USC bank account), and a large 6 meter skip was filled to the brim.

At the same time, graffiti was dealt to, the shower and toilets painted, rooms cleared out, spent light bulbs replaced, old computer gear retired, the exterior cleaned and its front skirt painted, the gutter cleaned, all the weeds in the driveway removed, Stores emptied – then sorted – then put back logically… and that’s just part of what was achieved.

Cadets were also grateful for the lunch put on by the USC. Sated and re-energised, they returned to push on for the rest of the afternoon.

The progress is clearly visible, and when the full Squadron meets this Wednesday, they’ll be able to get right to work.

January 29, 2021January 29, 2021Uncategorized

Hey! We were just thinking of you!

If you are 13+ or a parent/caregiver, then you have a lot of choices as to where to spend your valuable “spare” time.

So let’s tell you why 29 SQUADRON is your best choice this year:

Rotorua’s 29 Squadron is celebrating its 80th year this year. We know what we’re doing.
We are very well staffed. Right now, two officers, four Supplementary Staff, and seven Non Commissioned Officers teach and lead a growing group of cadets. 2021’s objective is “Growth through a packed Activity programme”.
Growth: 29 Squadron is projected to have six Officers by the end of the year
We have a licensed pilot on staff. That means we will go flying again; including night flying.
One camp and two tramps are already planned for the first two terms. The new camp site is a private bush location and will take your breath away.
NZQA and Duke of Edinborough qualification training starts again, and 29 Squadron work will count towards real-world credits and qualifications. Want it? Come get it.
We look forward to our service on Anzac Day for 2021. And later in the year, the Battle of Britain commemorations and Armistice Day are similar highlights on our calendar.

Rotorua Air Cadets is a civilian youth leadership training organisation. Families and alumni all say that time spent in Cadets has helped kids get jobs. Their discipline, punctuality, politeness, leadership, and positive attitude stands out every time.

January 29, 2021January 29, 2021Uncategorized

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

Before the first parade night of 2021, all officers, staff, and NCOs got together for a strategy meeting.

In front of them: 2021’s Strategic Plan, 2021 Training Program, updated Unit Standing Orders, and the opportunity to listen to FGOFF Knight and Training Officer Joseph outline the expectations for 2021.

NCOs were also told that FGOFF Knight, Mr Knight (USC Treasurer), Training Officer Joseph, and SS Belt visited a brand new camp site for 29 SQN’s exclusive use. It has native bush, a hut, 1000 year old bore water at two degrees, and views to come back for. The first camp (29 Below – Bushcraft) is ready to go later this term.

But before cadets even start on the first Wednesday of the first school term (Feb 3rd, 6:15 pm, 23 Geddes Rd), 29 Squadron is meeting on the weekend prior to get rid of graffiti, weeds, and old and non-serviceable gear from stores.

29 Squadron: We fly stuff, shoot stuff, and do stuff. Come see what it’s all about and join us in a year that’s guaranteed to stand out as one of our best in recent history.FGOFF

January 18, 2021January 18, 2021Uncategorized

Welcome back

We hope you had a great end to 2020 and are looking forward to a somewhat normal 2021. Some of us here haven’t had much time off as a huge amount of planning has gone into this year already. For 29 Squadron, 2021 marks it’s 80th year of operation, so that will be suitably observed. 2021 also will be the year when we switch to new uniforms.

Everything going to plan, during this year will see 29 Squadron parade with five commissioned Officers. As every activity needs at least one present, the previous bottleneck will be removed as the year progresses. Get ready for more activities to be available as Officers come on board.

The Senior team are hard at work to get our first Camp in the record books: 29 Below will happen during Term 1. As a result, an emphasis on Bush craft will be part of the Term 1 training plan.

Keep an eye on the usual communication channels: this site, Facebook, and your Syndicate leaders.

Hope to see you all soon!

Have you been keeping an eye on Air Cadets last year thinking this may be a great way for you (or your child) to build new skills while having lots of fun? Then you are invited to come along and check us out. Our contact details are on the contact page and Facebook. The start of a year is most certainly the best time to get involved!

December 22, 2020December 22, 2020Uncategorized

NZCF is taking a break

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020Uncategorized

2020 End of Year Parade – 29 Rotorua Squadron Air Training Corps

At the end of a year, the squadron parades in front of parents, dignitaries, and NZCF and NZDF officers to celebrate the achievements of the year.

New Cadets are inducted, promotions are announced, and various trophies and certificates acknowledging significant achievements are presented.

The evening also includes short speeches from invited guests. For the first time, 29 SQN’s most senior cadet, SGT Swinburne was invited to reflect on the unit and her own progress for 2020.

Congratulation go to LAC Joy and CPL Belt on their promotions. Both cadets had superb attendance records in spite of a difficult year. They also embraced every opportunity the New Zealand Cadet Forces provides. Their progress was rightfully rewarded.

The Unit now goes into recess until school returns in February 2021 with the exception of Supplementary Staff and officers who will meet for strategic planning and other preparation to ensure everything is ready for – what everyone hopes will be – a normal 2021 program.

29 SQN would like to thank the parents, caregivers, supporters, supplementary staff, officers, and our fans in the wider community for their support this year.

Next year beckons with a number of Sup Staff preparing to commission, take on different roles, and to support our cadets – old and new – into a fun and rewarding journey.

2021 will be extra special as we will also celebrate our 80th birthday!

December 2, 2020December 2, 2020Uncategorized

Air Cadets round off 2020 with Rotorua Airport visit

Rotorua aviation history, a visit to the Control Tower, a hands-on demonstration of firefighting, and the chance to climb in, on, over, and inside an actual plane to see all the theory come to life was on the menu for 29 Squadron Air Cadets.

The visit started off in the new terminal to honour Rotorua’s daughter who took the aviation world by storm in the days when those sorts of things were normally left to the boys. In the years leading up to WWII the world was enthralled by long distance and endurance flights, and a well-promoted and supported Batten was embraced by the world as one of the women of her time to achieve a number of firsts.

Next was a view of Rotorua from a point of view few of us get to enjoy: the air traffic control tower. Observing the communications between pilots and the tower cadets watched how an Air New Zealand flight was given clearance to land.

The firefighting crew was next to show their toys to the cadets, which included a demonstration of the water canons. Cadets also got their hands dirty up close when they were given a chance to handle other equipment.

As it got dark 29 Squadron moved to the hangars to look at some planes up close.

Under the guidance of SS Joseph, a commercial pilot himself, cadets had a chance to link classroom theory with a real aircraft. Cockpit, control surfaces and general check and safety procedures were covered.

29 Squadron would like to thank Rotorua Airport for being fantastic hosts who were so generous with their time. This visit will stand out in Cadet’s minds as one of the highlights of 2020.

Enjoy some more photos below.

November 15, 2020November 19, 2020Uncategorized

Training Camp- at last

Units from Taupo (TCU), Rotorua (RDCU & 29 Squadron), and Opotiki (OCCU) marched into Waiotapu on Friday night to get settled for a weekend of training.

On the Saturday cadets trained on basic map reading with a compass, First Aid, and making a stretcher in the bush.

On Sunday, all this gets put together during a Casualty Evacuation training scenario: Cadets are given a grid reference on a map, and using a compass they are tasked to find a casualty which isn’t visible to them from their starting point.

After applying First aid, stabilising the patient, and making them as comfortable as possible, they then make a stretcher with available materials and resources on and around them.

While monitoring the patient the Cadets are then set to the task of Casualty Evacuation over unformed and rough terrain.

That may appear be a lot to ask of the average 13-year old, but cadets rise to the challenge. This is where New Zealand Cadet Forces succeeds at training tomorrow’s leaders.

Discipline, team work, mateship, and integrity are the outcomes of our training programme, and the Cadets can’t get enough of it.

What results is the confidence in your team to do the right thing, even to the point where you commit your own welfare to others trusting them to keep you safe. These are huge benefits to have in your skill-set while coming to grips with the world as a young adult.

It is often said for a purpose: food makes the camp. Good food and filled bellies are essential for everyone to be able to feel energetic and able to focus on the tasks before them.

In between training as well as morning and afternoon breaks Cadets will line up outside the mess to take on more fuel for the next part of the day.

You might wonder: “Where are the adults? I don’t see any in the photos.”

New Zealand Cadet Forces trains kids aged 13+ to start taking on leadership roles from 15 and older. And although adults are there to support the Cadets and to keep an eye on over-all safety and course progress, the days are essentially run by the cadets themselves.

This is what makes Cadet Forces different and much more valuable than other options. Your kids are trained for leadership and expected to take on responsibilities as they grow and progress.

If you like the idea of Cadets, or you have some questions, please feel free to come along to one of our our Parade Nights (Wednesdays during school terms).

You can also contact us via the Contact page.

Our collective thanks go to Major Breen and the team at RDCU for being such fantastic and generous hosts. It was great to meet old and new friends at both Taupo and Opotiki units. Hope to meet you all soon again.