This Web site has been produced to give an insight into the Aerial Erector School (AES) and about this trade in general. It covers the wide variety of courses taught, not only in this trade, but also other associated trades within the Navy, Army, RAF and Civilian organizations. We hope it will assist anyone who is due to attend a course at the school, or those interested in taking up the trade of an RAF CIS Aerial Erector.

The Aerial Erector School is based at RAF Digby in Lincolnshire and, as part of DCCIS through No1 Radio School at Cosford, it is primarily responsible for conducting Basic and Further Training Courses for Trade Group 4 (TG4) RAF Aerial Erectors. They also provide specialised training courses in Climbing Aptitude, Scaffolding, and Climbing and Working at Height to meet the requirements of Defence Estates Safety Rules and Procedures for Working at Height on Restricted High Places (SRP WaHRHP). The school is also one of the few specialist-training providers to offer an in-depth course in Advanced Fibre Optics, which includes both Single and Multi Mode Fibre systems. In addition to military personnel, the school is able to train civilians drawn from a wide variety of commercial companies, many of who require their job applicants to be graduates of the school.

The school have a staff of 21 and currently run 9 courses with a maximum class size of 12. Between the period April 2005 and March 2006, an estimated 350 student's came through the school. AES are also an approved centre with Edexcel and City & Guilds awarding bodies, enabling them to provide the Communications Apprenticeship to the trade.

To keep abreast of rapidly developing technology, AES continues to seek ways of improving the service it provides, as well as keeping its achievement of accreditation of Investors in People and BS EN 9001 standards.

In addition to refining its syllabuses, the school continues to plan new projects to enhance its training facilities; these have recently included the improvement of its engineering training workshops and commissioning the construction of a new field store/training room, designed to enhance the external training phase of our courses.