Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps

Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps Emblem
Formation	7 April 1971
Type	Aviation
Purpose	(a) To provide an organization to encourage and aid the people of Hong Kong in their contribution of their efforts, services and resources in the development of civil aviation; (b) To encourage and develop by example the voluntary contribution of private citizens to the public welfare; (c) To develop within the youth of Hong Kong, by example and inspiration, the qualities of leadership and good moral character; and (d) To promote international goodwill by participating in exchange programmes, rallies, conferences and other activities with overseas youth organisations.
Headquarters	Old Hong Kong International (Kai Tak) Airport
Location	Sung Wong Toi Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Membership	3263 cadets (youth) with 1588 adult members
Official language	Cantonese, English
Commanding Officer	Group Captain CHAN Man-lang IDSM
Website	www.aircadets.org.hk

Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps head office at Kai Tak Airport, next to the Hong Kong Aviation Club head office

The Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps (Chinese: 香港航空青年團) is a group for young people in Hong Kong. It's a volunteer group that wears uniforms. The Hong Kong government helps fund it. It's also a charity that doesn't aim to make a profit.

This group started in 1971. It focuses on aviation and helps young people learn about flying. It also helps them become leaders and care about their community. Big airlines like Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragon Air support its aviation training.

Besides learning about planes and flying, the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps offers many fun outdoor activities. These include hiking, night walks, and camping trips. They also organize water activities like canoeing in the summer. A big part of being a cadet is helping the community.

The Corps is split into different areas called "wings." These wings cover Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Each wing has smaller groups called "squadrons." Most squadrons are based in secondary schools. This helps them find new members and hold training sessions.

How the Corps is Organized

A Hong Kong Air Cadet during a shooting exercise.

The leader of the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps is called the Commanding Officer. This person is in charge of how the Corps runs every day. They make sure everything works smoothly.

Different teams at the main office help with specific tasks. One team handles general administration and support. This includes managing money, staff, and properties. They also organize adventure activities and manage the Corps' technology.

Another team works on building relationships. They connect with government groups and other youth organizations. They also arrange exchange programs with groups in other countries.

The "Operations Group" manages the different wings and squadrons. They make sure that all cadet activities follow the training goals. They also ensure the Corps helps the community well.

The "Training Group" sets the standards for all training. They update the courses to keep up with new technology. They also offer special courses like aviation education and leadership training.

The "Flying Squadron" organizes flying experiences for members. They also make sure that all flight activities are safe and follow aviation rules.

Advanced Aviation Education Programme (AAEP) Scholarship

The Advanced Aviation Education Programme (AAEP) started in 1997. At first, only members of the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps could join. In 2000, it opened to everyone. That's when Cathay Pacific Airways joined as a partner.

This program teaches you what you need to know to take a real flying test. If you pass all the tests, you get a special certificate. This certificate can help you if you want to study airport operations in college. Cadets who pass this program also complete important aviation subjects for their cadet ranks.

The program has 8 main subjects, split into two parts. You'll have 20 lessons in total.

Technical Modules

• Aerodynamics: How air moves around planes.
• Aircraft General Knowledge: All about how planes are built.
• Operation, Performance and Planning: How to plan flights and make sure planes fly well.
• Flight Rules & Air Laws in Australia: The rules for flying in Australia.

Navigation Modules

• Navigation: How to find your way when flying.
• Meteorology: Learning about weather for flying.
• Radio Communication: How pilots talk to air traffic control.
• Human Performance and Limitation: How the human body works in flying.

Practical Module

• Flight Simulation Training: You get to practice flying in a flight simulator!

Squadrons

Most squadrons are part of the Operations Group. This group has six wings, numbered one to six. There's also a special Ceremonial Squadron that's part of the Training Group.

Ranks in the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps

The Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps has different ranks for its members. These ranks show how much training and experience a person has.

Officer Ranks

These are the highest ranks in the Corps.

Ranks and Insignia of HKACC Officers

	Air Officer	Senior Officers			Junior Officers
Rank	Air Commodore (Air Cdre)	Group Captain (Gp Capt)	Wing Commander (Wg Cdr)	Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr)	Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt)	Flying Officer (Fg Off)	Pilot Officer (Plt Off)
Insignia
Notes

Warrant Officers and Instructors

These are experienced adult members who help train the cadets.

Ranks and Insignia of HKACC Warrant Officer and Instructors

	Warrant Officer	Instructors
Rank	Warrant Officer (WO)	Sergeant Instructor (Sgt Instr)	Instructor (Instr)
Insignia
Notes	Warrant Officers, Sergeant Instructors and Instructors are uniformed senior members below commissioned officers.	Warrant Officers, Sergeant Instructors and Instructors are uniformed senior members below commissioned officers.	Those who are 21 years old or have a Secondary 5 education and have completed an instructors training course.

Trainee Ranks

These ranks are for adult members who are training to become officers or instructors.

Ranks and Insignia of HKACC Trainees

Ranks	Officer Cadets (Off Cdt)	Officer Trainee (OT)	Recruit Instructor (RI)
Insignia
Notes	Officer Cadets and Officer Trainees are senior members undergoing training to become commissioned officers. Officer Cadets are a members of the Adult Training Wing.	Officer Cadets and Officer Trainees are senior members undergoing training to become commissioned officers. Officer Trainees are members of University Squadrons or University Flights.	Recruit Instructors are senior members undergoing training to become Instructors

Cadet Ranks

These are the ranks for the young members of the Corps.

Ranks and Insignia HKACC Cadets

	Senior Non-commissioned Officer (SNCO)			Junior Non-commissioned Officer (JNCO)		Cadets
Rank	Cadet Warrant Officer (CWO)	Cadet Flight Sergeant (FS)	Cadet Sergeant (Sgt)	Cadet Corporal (Cpl)	Cadet Lance Corporal (LCpl)	Basic Cadet (BC)	Recruit Cadet (RC)
Insignia
Notes						To be promoted to basic cadet, a recruit cadet should pass the Recruit Cadet Training Course	To join as a cadet, you need to be between 11 and 19 years old. You should be ready for training and have good character. It helps to know some Chinese and English. You also need permission from your parents or guardians.

Aircraft Used

The Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps uses helicopters for flight experience. These include:

• Robinson R44
• Eurocopter EC120

Sometimes, members also get to train with gliders. This training happens in places like Canada and New Zealand.

See also

• Cadets (youth program)