Sixteen Air Cadets from the South & East Midlands Wing attended a course at RAF Wittering to study for their Foundation Amateur Radio exams, over the weekend of the 27th -29th March.
The cadets came from 422 (Corby), 1084 (Market Harborough), 1101 (Kettering), 1461 (Wigston), 1936 (Newton) and 2502 (Hamilton) Air Cadet Squadrons
The course included the theory of radio and how to receive and transmit using the Morse Code. The cadets also had to transmit and receive on High Frequency radio speaking to other amateur radio stations in the United Kingdom and Europe. They were also taught how to tune the radio to the aerial being used.
Once the cadets had been assessed on the practical aspects of the course they had to sit an exam. It is pleasing to note that all who took the exam successfully passed.
The successful completion of the course now allows the Cadets to apply to OFCOM for a foundation Amateur Radio Licence. Once the cadets obtain their own Personal call sign one of the radio training team will take some equipment to their squadron for them to practice operating on the air.