Category Archives: Fun

NAG FTX 2018

It’s finally here! The NAG FTX will be this weekend. Over 300 cadets are expected to attend. Activities include canoeing, archery, hiking, orienteering, &c.

We will be departing from 809 HQ at 1700h (5:00pm) on Friday, May 4th and will be returning to the same spot at 1630h (4:30pm) on Sunday, May 6th.

Dress: Civilian or Field Training Uniform (Must have all of the pieces: Boots, Pants, Shirt, Jacket, Beret, Rank Slip-ons.) Dress for the weather.

Kit List:

  1. ONTARIO HEALTH CARD (you will not be allowed to remain at the trg site without it)
  2. Optional: FTU – olive drab decommissioned CF combats with blue air cadet rank, blue beret, black combat boots. (only complete kit to be worn)
  3. T-shirts and or long-sleeve shirts dependent on weather
  4. Pants, preferably quick dry (no jeans)
  5. Sweater or sweatshirt
  6. Underwear
  7. Socks – at least 2 pairs wool
  8. Warm Spring Coat – RAIN COAT
  9. Hat
  10. Shoes 2 pairs – one for canoeing
  11. Gloves
  12. Sleeping Bag, Pillow, Air Mattress (single)
  13. Face Towel and body towel
  14. Flashlight
  15. Sunglasses
  16. Large Water Bottle (filled w/ WATER)
  17. Toiletries and Personal Hygiene Items
  18. Chapstick
  19. Appropriate Sleeping Attire
  20. Bug spray
  21. Sunscreen
  22. HOT LIQUID MUG (for hot chocolate on Sat night – must be separate from water bottle)
  23. Prescription Medication & Non-prescription medication ( Advil, Tylenol) – bring ONLY
    ENOUGH FOR WEEKEND; notify CO immediately upon arrival at Valens Conservation Area.

The official title of the event according to the Operations Order is “May Mayhem” and Maj Palumbo is in charge of the whole thing. With that combination, there’s no way this can be anything but fun. See you there!

J. Lemoine
Captain
CO 809 Newark RCACS

Bowling

Bowling Night!

Don’t come to the Squadron HQ on Monday night!

Meet us at 1900h (7:00pm) at Parkway Lanes at 327 Ontario Street in St. Catharines for two hours of bowling, food and drink. Cadets have been putting in a lot of work over the training year, and following the disappointment of having to cancel the NAG Drill Competition, it’s time to relax and have some fun.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

J. Lemoine
Captain
CO 809 Newark RCACS

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Trip (Update)

Just got back from 809’s March Break trip to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount Hope. Everyone, staff included, learned some very cool facts about these incredible aircraft. Did you know that Canadian-built Rolls-Royce Merlin engines have an opposite spin to their British counterparts? We didn’t. Something about driving on opposite sides of the road, maybe?

Here are our cadets in front of the museum’s iconic Supermarine Spitfire Mark XVIe.

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Trip

For those six cadets who signed up for the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Trip, we’ll be leaving at 0900h (9:00am) tomorrow morning from the front of 809 Squadron HQ and expect to arrive at the museum at 1000h (10:00am) for our tour. Dress is C2 for all attending cadets. Lunch will be served on-site. Bring your health card!

March Break Activities (Update)

Looking at the sign-up sheets for our March Break activities, we’re coming down to a go or no-go decision.

Tomorrow’s visit to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum currently has three cadets signed up, which isn’t enough to justify the trip. If you’re interested in going, you need to sign up by 1630h (4:30pm) today. The final decision will be made at that point. If we don’t go, we’ll make another try of it later in the year.

SkyZone on Wednesday is looking good. We have six cadets signed up, but more is better!

Curling on Friday has four cadets signed up and we’ll need a few more to make it viable.

Bottom line: If you’re participating, sign up right away. These are not activities that you can just show up to on the day of the event.

Sunday’s Jet Boat Trip

Sunday’s trip up the Niagara River on a jet boat was a blast!

It all started with a safety briefing and a walk from the Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours office to their dock at the end of the street.

Once we arrived, we put on our Sunday best and had a group picture taken. The appropriate subtitle here would be: they were never seen (dry) again. Well, at least not for the rest of the day.

There weren’t a lot of good opportunities to see faces once we got out onto the water, but if you’re really lucky, you may be able to pick out one or two through the spray. We’re the last two rows in the last picture.

Everyone who came out had a great time!

Special thanks go out to CI Ruttan for coming out and sharing the trip with us. The squadron won’t be the same without you in September.

Jet Boating Pickup Time

A few people have been asking when to be picked up from this afternoon’s trip. The boat leaves at 3:00pm and the trip is approximately one hour, so expect to be able to pick your cadet up at 4:00pm.