ERIN – Twenty-one air cadets from Erin’s 242 Ross Ferguson Squadron spent four days of their March break in eastern Ontario visiting Canadian Forces Base Trenton.
They were part of a recreational and educational tour that exposed them to a wide variety of career opportunities in the Canadian Armed Forces.
The cadets visited 424 Tiger Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, which is responsible for transport and rescue operations over a wide section of central Canada. They toured the CC-130H Hercules aircraft and CH 146 Griffon Helicopter, spoke with the squadron’s personnel and tried on some of the equipment used by search and rescue technicians.
The cadets climbed aboard the CC-130J Hercules operated by 436 Canucks Unlimited Squadron for a flight around the shoreline of Lake Ontario.
Following the flight, they toured the Aerospace and Telecommunications Engineering Support Squadron (ATESS) where they spoke with personnel involved in avionics manufacturing, metal fabrication, vehicle refinishing, oil analysis, as well as the operation of command and control information systems.
They also visited the base firehall to learn about firefighting and rescue activities for both aircraft and structures in Trenton.
On Friday, the cadets travelled to Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario where Officer Cadet Mark Keir, a former cadet from Erin, told them about his experiences pursuing post-secondary education through the Canadian Armed Forces.
Keir is in his third year at RMC, and currently plans to become an Air Combat Systems Officer for the Royal Canadian Air Force when he graduates. He led the cadets on a tour of some of the buildings and the grounds of the historic institution.
Later, the cadets toured historic Fort Henry and the National Air Force Museum of Canada, then watched the Friday night Belleville Senators AHL hockey game; the home team faced off against the Laval Rocket.
