Air Cadets on the ground, in the air, and looking back

859 Crowsnest Squadron members and Snowbird at Nanton Bomber Command Museum
Captain Daniel Desrosiers photos

Captain Daniel Desrosiers, Royal Canadian Air Cadets

Air Cadets from 859 Crowsnest Squadron were out in force on Saturday, May 4th for the Alberta Highway Cleanup. They covered lots of ground, picking up garbage along sections of the 35-km long municipality.

The very next weekend they travelled to Vulcan to experience flights in a glider on Saturday, May 11th. The glider has no engine but stays aloft using lightweight construction and a large wing-span. Cadets help to launch and recover the aircraft that is launched using winch and cable system, like a kite on a string. The cable is then released and the glider soars through the air, circling the town of Vulcan before landing.


On the return trip home the cadets had the opportunity to visit the Vulcan Tourism and Trek Station to enjoy the Star Trek memorabilia on display there.

859 Crowsnest Squadron at Vulcan Trek Station

Following this they made a short stop at the Bomber Command Museum in Nanton. The museum was celebrating the 70th anniversary of the legendary “Dambusters” raid in May 1943. This was a great chance to learn more about this particular mission, especially considering a hero with local connections. Flying Officer Daniel Revie Walker was born in Blairmore and is the recipient of the bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions as a navigator during the “Dambusters” raid. It involved using special bouncing bombs to skip across the surface of the water and destroy the Mohne and Eder dams in the Ruhr valley of Germany. He later went on to become a Wing Commander in the RCAF.


While checking out the Canadian Forces’ Snowbird jet on display, the cadets were filmed by a Global-TV crew and featured in a clip on the news the following night!

The Royal Canadian Air Cadets is a community-based national youth program for 12-18 year olds with a focus on leadership, citizenship, fitness and aviation.

Weekly training is conducted on Mondays from 6:30 – 9:15 PM at the Elks Hall in Blairmore. Cadets are not members of the military and have no obligation to join or serve with the Canadian Forces. There are no registration fees or dues to join cadets. Uniforms and accoutrements are provided free of charge. Cadets and parents are encouraged to participate in fundraising activities on behalf of the local sponsoring committee and Air Cadet League, to offset costs not covered by the Department of National Defence.

For more information contact Captain Daniel Desrosiers, daniel.desrosiers@cadets.gc.ca

www.cadets.ca