Air Cadets

Flying in a glider, understanding what keeps an airplane in the air, launching model rockets, surviving in the woods like an aircrew… In the Air Cadets, the sky isn't the limit: it's your playground.

772 Vanier Squadron welcomes youth aged 12 to 18 who want to learn, get moving and push themselves. No experience needed: you learn everything on the spot, with instructors and older cadets who have been there. And it's free: no registration fees, and your uniform is provided.

Yes, it's possible. In the Air Cadets, young people earn their pilot licence before they even finish high school.

From age 16, once you've completed Level 3 of your training, you can apply for the summer pilot courses, with no training fees:

• Glider pilot: a course of about six weeks at the St-Jean Cadet Training Centre in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, leading to a Transport Canada glider pilot licence.
• Power pilot: a course of about seven weeks leading to a Transport Canada private pilot licence.

Spots are limited and candidates are selected: your motivation and involvement at the squadron count. And it starts on your very first night!

After your first years of training, you can head off to summer training. At the Bagotville Cadet Training Centre, in Saguenay, you can explore aviation technology and aerospace, or go further with advanced aviation. Other courses await you too, like survival. The courses are free, and you even get a training allowance!

From age 16, you can also be hired as a staff cadet: a real paid summer job where you supervise and train younger cadets.

The Cadet Program has a clear mission: to help you prepare for adult life, take on today's challenges and get involved in your community. You gain self-confidence, real-world skills and strong friendships. It all rests on six values we live every day:

For more than 50 years, 772 Vanier Squadron has been introducing young people in the region to aviation. We meet every Wednesday evening at 7 p.m., from September to May, at the Général Jean-Victor Allard Armoury (574 Saint-François-Xavier Street, Trois-Rivières), the same armoury as our friends of 2671 Army Cadet Corps. Activity weekends are added throughout the year.

Cadets are supervised by officers of the Cadet Instructor Cadre, with the support of the Air Cadet League of Canada and our support committee. And no, being a cadet doesn't mean enlisting: you are not a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, and no one expects you to pursue a military career.

More into adventure in the woods? Discover the army cadets of 2671 Army Cadet Corps.