Royal Air Force Air Cadets

Royal Air Force Air Cadets
Active5 February 1941 (1941-02-05) – present
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force (sponsor)
TypeVolunteer youth organisation
Role
Part ofNo. 22 Group RAF
HeadquartersRAF College Cranwell
PatronThe Princess of Wales
MottoVenture Adventure
Websitewww.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/
Commanders
Commandant Air CadetsAir Commodore Al Lewis
Warrant OfficerWarrant Officer Donna Hall
Honorary AmbassadorWing Commander Emma Wolstenholme
National ChairMr S.J. Ensor
National ChaplainReverend Gareth Jones
Aircraft flown
Trainer

The Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC) is the combined volunteer-military youth organisation sponsored by the Royal Air Force, which is formed by both the Air Training Corps and RAF Sections of the Combined Cadet Force. The organisation is headed by a serving RAF officer, Commandant Air Cadets. The current commandant is Air Commodore Al Lewis. In addition to the Commandant, who is responsible for the organisation’s uniformed activities, RAFAC also has a National Chair, who serves as the senior representative of the trustee pillar; the current incumbent is Mr Stuart Ensor OBE.

Prior to 1 October 2017, the RAFAC was called the Air Cadet Organisation. As of 1 April 2023, the RAFAC had a strength of 42,190 cadets and 10,070 Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs), along with ~5,000 trustees. Cadets are aged between 12 and 17 on entry to the organisation, and can remain until they are 18, or with special permission, until they are 20.