About Us

Here at 473 Squadron, we aim to provide a service to young people (13+) that could lead to a future career in the Air Force. There are, of course, many other routes that can be followed through this but this is what inspires most cadets to join. Recruits are given an induction, telling them what the Air Cadets do and what is involved. They are then placed into classes and taught the various ins-and-outs of flying and aviation. And once a month, this culminates in a flying/gliding lesson at RAF Leeming/RAF Topcliffe respectively. The cadets are given a logbook that logs these hours.

At the age of 16, cadets can apply to take part in a gliding scholarship. And then at 17, they can apply for a flying scholarship. This can lead into an RAF career or the continuation of a ‘career’ volunteering in the squadron. If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact us using the details available on the Contact Us page.

People always say that you join the cadets because you want a career in the RAF. This is true in some cases, but there are many cases where people have used the cadets to further themselves, to help them to acquire a job/career in the commercial aviation sector. Recently, one of the squadron’s flight sergeants has announced that he is moving to the USA to further his pilot career. Ultimately, this proves that time in the cadets can lead to not just a career in the RAF, but a career in civil aviation too.