November 2019

Welcome back to your Alumni Magazine. You may remember, in the August edition we asked what you wanted from your alumni. Well now we have an opportunity to ask you to help out. In August we introduced the Australian Air Force Cadets Foundation as it evolved from the AAFC National Council. Now we can introduce one of the first major projects for the Foundation, Pathways to an Aerospace Future. We have an introduction to the project a little further on but, if you are already in the Aerospace Industry, Military or Civilian, you might be the person we are looking for to help grease the rails. Do you remember if you had any mentors giving you some direction or assistance? It certainly does help if you can get some inside information, finding out just what it’s like in the multitude of available positions. Now that we see more depot level maintenance being carried out by civilian contractors it naturally follows that there will be more opportunities there as well for keen young Cadets. The AAFC is taking on board the STEM programme and, in doing so, will provide potential new recruits, ready and willing for their career in Aerospace. Can you lend a hand?
 
In August we said that we have been asked to have a fresh look at our material with the aim of targeting the younger cohort of Staff and ex-cadets. Well we haven’t been overwhelmed by material or suggestions on how to appeal to the age retired Cadets or younger staff members. With the Editor on the wrong side of 70, we need your help or we will go down without a fight. We won’t know until we try, so in this edition, we have again deleted the quiz and articles of historic interest, even though a very high percentage of our current readership have very fond memories of their cadet years from long ago.
 
We need material that can be circulated to those who are no longer in touch with their old Squadron or in receipt of material from the AAFC. I am aware that the Newsletter is rather large and many readers would like me to cut back on the length. I certainly don’t anticipate that you will read the entire magazine, I know I don’t read the entire copy of The Australian, but I scan the paper and read what interests me.
 
We have an Interactive Contents Page. To access any article that you would be interested in, hit Control and Left Click on the Mouse and you will go direct to your selected article. You don’t need to scroll through material that doesn’t interest you.
 
You may have read in previous editions that we have been running an Alumni Centenary Writing competition to add to the historical archive. In this edition we have the results of our Centenary Writing Competition.
 
Did you know that the AAFC now has a Tiger Moth? One of our AAFC Foundation members, Ken Broomhead has already provided outstanding support for our Cadets in setting up the Toastmasters programme and sponsoring several rounds. Now he has donated his Tiger Moth to the AAFC so that our cadets can experience a real Fly by Wire experience.

If you like what you read in this edition please share the magazine with your friends who are ex Cadet or Staff members (current or past) and invite them to sign up to our Alumni Network. If you don’t like the content, we want to know that as well. Please drop a line to AlumniDirector@aircadetsalumni.org.au
 
Please update your email address when you change providers. It may change for example when you switch to the NBN. We understand that you may be accessing the newsletter from the web site, but sometimes we just might like to contact you direct. In particular, those who have a Cadetnet or Defence email address may have trouble with our emails. There are still plenty of Defence email accounts in our database. You might like to check with your friends to see if they have been getting our emails. Our regular eMagazine is sent by email at 1000 on 1 November, 1 February, 1 May and 1 August.
 
Until February, wishing you a Happy and Safe Festive Season,

John Griffiths, MBE    
Alumni Director