November 2020

Nine years and still going strong. Yes, your Alumni has now been operating for nine years, not even close to our 80 years we will be celebrating next year for the Air Training Corps, AirTC and the AAFC but still a milestone. In those nine years we haven’t asked you to give any financial support to your old Alma Marta. Now, there is an opportunity for you to pay back, in a small way, for that leg up your organization has provided you in your chosen career. How many of you have said, ‘If it wasn’t for Cadets, I wouldn’t be where I am today’?
 
Sadly, in this edition we recognize the passing of three of our most distinguished alumni, AM David Evans AC, DSO, AFC (RAAF Retired), Colin Palmer OAM and Geoff Cottee AM, RFD. A tribute follows.
 
As AVM Kym Osley AM CSC (Retired), Chairman of the AAFC Foundation mentions in his remarks, the ADF has been incredibly generous in their support of our cadets especially in these recent years, however you may be able to help our cadets celebrate 80 Years of the organization. Any support that you can give can be made through the AAFC Foundation as it has Charitable Donation status. You can make a difference. Thank you for your consideration in this worthwhile cause. Later in the Newsletter, we have a message from our Chair of the Australian Air Force Cadet Foundation, AVM Osley AM, CSC highlights showing how you can help.
 
As the Cadets of all three services have been on an Operational Pause since 16 March, we still don’t have a great deal to share as to the recent Cadet activities. Paul Rosenzweig has been able to provide updates on aviation activities. Thanks Paul.I was hoping that a few of our alumni might have been able to make up for the shortage with some of their own memories. If we don’t hear from you soon, I will bore you with my Bio, now you don’t want to read that, so how about you send in your story or contact one of your mates who has a great story of their Cadet experiences or life after Cadets. Please help.  I’m sure you would love to share some of your exploits.
 
Remember, if you like what you read in your magazine, you are most welcome to share and invite your friends who are ex Cadet or Staff members to join.  If you don’t like what you are reading please tell us, AlumniDirector@aircadetsalumni.org.au  We love to receive your letters. We hope that our magazine can remind you of your time in our great organization. We are always on the lookout for articles and photographs that you may like to share.
 
Please update your email address when you change providers Perhaps it may change when you go to 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 Newsletter is sent by email at 1000 on 1 November, 1 February, 1 May and 1 August. Registration is FREE and is open to all ex Cadets, ex Staff, current Staff, both uniform and civilian. We also invite our friends from likeminded organizations.
 
There is some great reading again and all the material is just one click away from the Contents page. We have a few stories that may remind you of your past glories and stories from some of our alumni..
 
If you think you have missed out on some of the earlier Alumni Newsletters, the good news is you haven’t! They are available on the Air Cadets Alumni website, www.aircadetsalumni.org.au and go to the Bulletin Board.
 
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.
 
Until February,
 
Fly Safe

John Griffiths, MBE    
Alumni Director