Cadet Sergeant Amy Denson from 1379 (Leiston) Squadron, Norfolk and Suffolk Wing, has just returned from a trip of a lifetime, having been chosen to represent the UK on the International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE) in he Netherlands.
The IACE links Air Cadets from across with the world. For 15 days every July and August cadets go on an exchange so each gets a taste of the other’s culture and another great cadet experience. Places are very limited, and cadets get chosen based on their outstanding contribution to the Corps.
Amy gave us the highlights of her visit: “The IACE to the Netherlands was simply amazing! The people and the opportunities really made the trip special. The highlight for me was the gliding. We visited a civilian gliding club where, to my delight, there was a Sedbergh glider; this particular open top glider was built in the late 1940’s and creaked before we were even off the ground. Nevertheless, it was breathtaking to be able to peer over the edge and look straight down to the ground below.
Other highlights included visiting Amsterdam as well as being able to get up close and personal with Chinooks, Apaches, the F16s, refuelling flight on a KDC10, being very different.
The trip was not all flights, other experiences included a visit to the European Space Centre, Rijks Museum, Arnhem and a visit to the Delta Works to see the damns that keep a large proportion of the Netherlands dry. To top it off, we stayed with a host family for a weekend and got to try Dutch family life. For me, this included an opportunity to go water skiing and sailing.
Lastly, meeting cadets from around the world; I have made so many friends and too many promises to visit people in far flung places such as Australia and Canada and Hong Kong.”
ICAE members are drawn from 20 countries and include the Ghana National Cadet Corps, the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps, the Turkish Aeronautical Association and the UK Air Cadet Organisation. Each year over 500 young people the opportunity to expand their horizons, experience different cultures and make life-long friendships