Arriving London, touring Ruislip
- Day 2 – Dinner in the RAF Officers Mess
SPITFIRE FLIGHT
My first day in London was tiring. Once the plane landed and we got off, all of us got our passports (which they took from us for safe keeping on the plane) and went through identity check (I think it’s called that). Next we went to get our luggage. Luckily mine was one of the first to come, which made it better. And then we got on the bus where I got to sleep some more, and so far the day was getting better.
When we arrived at the barracks, the officers told us where our rooms are and we brought up our luggage, made our beds and had a bit of free time…And I was tired again. After free time, we walked to the mess and had dinner. I was ready to sleep. Finally we were going to the barracks to sleep but first we had a presentation on safety half way and then it began to rain. We went back to the barracks, recapped and went to sleep. So today was just busy and tiring.
Cadet Corporal Adrian Kynyckyj
SPITFIRE FLIGHT
When we first landed, it took a while for it to sink in that we were in London. With so much running around to get through security, and collect our bags, I kind of only really realized that we had left the country when we got outside. At least I can speak for myself when I say that jet lag hit me very hard and our rest period was very appreciated. Although the day was tiring, it was very interesting seeing the different style of housing and cars driving on opposite sides.
Cadet Sergeant Wei
HURRICANE FLIGHT
The fun began as soon as we got through the Canadian security at the airport. We all walked to gate “C31”, sat down and received Tim Horton’s gift cards for dinner. All the flights split up into different groups. This was was a great time to get to know my cadets and some of the Officers who don’t regularly attend our Squadron. I even went to Booster Juice. After we all ate, we got on the plane and sat beside our seat neighbours. I sat beside WOII Patel and CPOI Watson! We had a great time. We talked, shared some snacks and talked some more. We even read separate books together like a reading session. When we arrived at our destination, it was like a race to the bathroom! Almost all of us went. Then we went through customs and started to go to our bus, which was going to bring us to RAF Northolt. When we got outside, I remembered that people drive on the opposite sides of the road here (the wrong side). I remember telling Sgt Quinn that there are driving wrong. When we arrived, we unpacked our luggage and went to our rooms in “Jet Block”. This gave us enough time to unpack, make our beds, shower, and socialize. My favourite part of these past 2 days met be day 2’s dinner. We at in a Mess directly beside the Officer’s Mess. We even got to see the Officer’s Mess that men would’ve used during the Battle of Britain.
Cadet Sergeant Pickering
HURRICANE FLIGHT
As soon as we finished our farewells, us cadets collectively felt a sense of excitement. We moved through security quickly and loaded the flight about an hour later. I love flying and part of cadets is learning aviation knowledge and applying it is such a rewarding experience. Watching the departure, I couldn’t help thinking about runway markings, winglet uses and circuit patterns. The actual flight itself was overall smooth, however not many cadets could sleep. Fortunately we got some tablets to keep us busy. I think I made friends with one of the Flight Attendants. He gave me lots of extra snacks so I didn’t mind that we weren’t served dinner in flight. Landing is always a fun experience as well. The Gatwick Airport was a new experience. So many people, so many accents and so much I was looking forward to doing. The trip finally felt real. It was already day 2 by now and everyone was exhausted. The bus ride felt short though, since everyone slept through the ride. Once we arrived to the base, we had lunch, prepared our rooms and polished our boots. Dinner was great compared to the boxed lunch we had and I fell asleep soon after we returned from our meal. Fortunately I slept really well.
-FSgt Molka
BLENHEIM FLIGHT
I liked that we finally landed in London. That seemed like a whole day. I also liked that I am in the same room as Ceastov and that my friends are right next to me. I also like that the CO is like being chill and tough. What I don’t like is the rain. It rains too much in London. I also don’t like that just to go to breakfast we have to wait so long for people to change right. But other than that, I like the trip. So far it’s been pretty chill.
Cadet Corporal Mark Kabonge
