Cadets Visit Centre Of Aviation Medicine

Yesterday saw cadets and staff of 1985 Sqn take a visit to the local RAF Henlow for a tour of the Centre Of Aviation Medicine (CAM).

The cadets were first shown the Aircrew Equipment testing facility where they were shown various pieces of kit currently in service with the RAF. The cadets had the chance to try on body armour, see flight helmets and life jacket systems and try out a pair of Night Vision Goggles!

Next the cadets had a talk from the Occupational Health Flight which showed the cadets some of the hazards of living In Theatre, including food hygiene issues, exposure and different types of pests. The talk then moved on to what it is like to live out on operations and some of the challenges included in that.

Shortly after the talk, the cadets were shown some of the various Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) protective equipment that is used by aircrews in RAF and had the chance to try some of the kit on.

Finally the cadets moved on to the pressure chambers used for Hypoxia Training, a fatal condition related to low atmospheric pressure at high altitude. The cadets were given the chance to walk through one of the pressure chambers and then got to see it in action whilst bursting balloons using only a decrease in pressure.

The visit was enjoyed by all, and was an excellent opportunity for the cadets to experience a world class unit of the RAF.