A significant milestone for the RAF Air Cadets’ space training syllabus has occurred as South West Region hosted the graduation of Cadet Space Instructors at MoD Boscombe Down.
The Gold level space course focuses on training cadets to become space instructors, allowing them to teach fellow cadets the lower levels of the space syllabus. This builds on the Blue level space course, which covers the fundamentals of the solar system, and the Bronze level space course covering space exploration and its scientific impact. The Silver course looks at our future in space. Perfect timing with the NASA Artemis mission completing the furthest orbit from Earth of any human being.
The graduation was attended by senior leaders in the RAF Air Cadets, including Commandant RAFAC, Air Commodore Al Lewis and Regional Commandant South West, Group Captain Maxine Fletcher. During the visit, the they observed cadets delivering instructional briefings and practical lessons as part of the graduation programme. They witnessed the professionalism demonstrated by the cadet instructors first hand, noting the confidence and depth of understanding demonstrated by the cadets delivering instruction.
The effectiveness of the cadet‑led instruction model was clearly evident, instilling strong confidence that the graduating cadets will return to their units well prepared to support the instructor pipeline. In doing so, these cadets will fully assist adult volunteers and be suitably equipped to deliver the Blue and Bronze Space syllabus to a high standard.
This cadet-led instruction approach, now embedded within the cadet progressive training syllabus (PTS) and intended as the model going forward. The course offered clear evidence of how empowering cadets as instructors strengthens training resilience across the organisation.
The scale and impact of the course were highlighted by the impressive statistics achieved over just five days, with 42 cadets from four Regions, including participants from the Combined Cadet Force (CCF), completing a remarkable number of qualifications:
- 42 Gold Space Awards
- 16 Silver Space Awards
- 42 Bronze Crest Awards
- 42 Cadet Gold Space Instructor Qualifications
- 12 Instructor Lanyards awarded
- 84 Method of Instruction (MOI) assessments completed
In total, 154 qualifications were completed during the course, an exceptional achievement that underlines both the commitment of the cadets and the instructors delivering the training.
The course served as a powerful example of how cross-region collaboration and joint activities can deliver significant training outputs in a short timeframe. It also reinforced the value of shared expertise, robust planning, and a consistent training framework across the RAF Air Cadets.
Senior visitors praised the staff and cadets involved for delivering a highly successful course, noting that it showcased the future direction of RAF Air Cadet training: cadet-led, scalable, collaborative, and professional.