Are you 12 to 18 years old ?

Any youth who is either a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident of Canada, aged 12 to 18 may join the Air Cadets.

We encourage you to join as soon as possible after turning 12 years old, as you will get the most out of the program, but we happily take older youths, and can fast track them thru the program where necessary.

Are you interested in Flying ?

At Air Cadets you will be given the opportunity to go flying in a Glider. Here at the Acton Squadron we try to get our cadets up flying at least once per year (weather permitting).

Cadets also have a chance to earn one or both of a Glider Pilot License, or a Private Pilot License through our Scholarship Programs. Both of these licenses are issues by Transport Canada and are the same courses any civilian can take.

Are you interested in Aviation in general ?

Air Cadets is not just for youth who want to be Pilots, you will learn about and experience all aspects of Aviation, from being a Pilot to how planes work, to jobs and infrastructure used across the entire field of aviation: Air Traffic Control, Ground Crew, Aircraft Maintenance and so much more.

Does it cost a lot ?

Here at Acton Air Cadets we do not charge any fees for youth to become members of our squadron. We do participate in fundraising events to offset the costs involved and we ask our cadets to be involved in that fundraising to the best of their abilities. But no youth, under any circumstances will ever be turned away due to financial reasons. All our cadets are given equal opportunities and where their cadet career takes them is based on merit and the effort they put in.

Do you have to join the Military ?

No, no you do not. While the Department of National Defense sponsors the Cadet program, and supplies uniforms and equipment to the squadron, you are in no way required to join the Canadian Forces… unless you wish to. The Cadet program will expose and train our youth in a military manner, and we do require that cadets participate in events which honour our Military Veterans, such Remembrance Day ceremonies, visits with our Veterans and helping with our Poppy drive (which in turn helps our veterans with funding). But there is no requirement for you to join the Canadian Forces.

Other Benefits of the Cadet Program:

  • Friendship – You will meet and make friends with Cadets from all over Canada.

  • Leadership – Learn what it is to be an good and effective Leader.

  • Speaking – Our Effective Speaking Team teaches Cadets to give speeches in front of others.

  • Teaching – As our cadets advance they teach the newer cadets with the knowledge they have gained.

  • Community Service Hours – Get all the hours you need to graduate High School.

  • Marksmanship – We have an Air Rifle Marksmanship Team for those who wish to participate.

  • Orienteering – We have an Orienteering team too. Learn to read maps and run a course, see who is the fastest.

  • Fitness – Our squadron does Fitness training at least once a month.

  • Summer Training – Go on courses from 2 to 7 weeks long during the summer, and get paid to learn.

  • High School Course Credits – It is possible to obtain credits toward your diploma.

  • And so much more…

How do you join ?

Simply come and see us. We meet every Tuesday Evening from 6:30 until 9:15 pm during the “Air Cadet Year” at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 197 which is located at 15 Wright Ave. Acton ON.

The “Air Cadet Year” runs from September thru until mid June. There are no Air Cadet meetings during the summer. Some cadets will still be active with Air Cadets during the summer if they are on Summer Training, but there are no formal Tuesday meetings at that time.

Around the end of August or the beginning of September we will have official “Recruiting Nights” where you may stop by and meet our officers and some of our current cadets, you can ask all the questions you wish and see a presentation on what Air Cadets is all about. These Recruiting Nights are perfect for those youth who are not yet 12 as well as those 12 and older who are interested in learning more about our cadet program / flying / aviation / aerospace and any other aspect of Air Cadets. The specific dates for our official “Recruiting Nights” will appear in the Acton Tanner and here on our site sometime in August.

There is no need to wait for an official recruiting night, cadets may join at any time during the cadet year and are encouraged to do so. The sooner you join after turning 12 the better as that means your Air Cadet career will be its longest and therefore you will have more opportunities than those that join later. You may remain in Air Cadets until the last day of your 18th year of age at which time you will “age-out” of cadets. Once you are 19+ you may if you wish join our squadron as a volunteer. The officers and staff of both the squadron and our SSC (Squadron Sponsoring Committee) are all volunteers and are parents of current and past air cadets.

Even if you are unsure about joining cadets, come out on a Tuesday evening to watch or give us a try for a few weeks and see if being an Air Cadet is something you want to be. There’s no pressure… we are not trying to sell you anything… well other than one of the best programs the youth of Canada can be in. Come take a look at Cadets… 50,000+ Canadian youth who are currently members can’t all be wrong.

Need more information ? Fill in the form below to send an email to us with any questions you may have.