Eyes on Target

On Sunday, 29 September, cadets from 1324 (Hawker Blackburn) Squadron attended an intensive air rifle training day.

Under the expert tutorage of the squadron executive officer, Flying Officer Thomas Sugden, himself a regional weapons instructor, 10 cadets went through an entire initial weapons training package on the BSA Scorpion multi-shot rifle.

Cadets Train in the Prone Position.

Flying Officer Sugden helps a cadet adjust their resting position.

The training package covered the safe handling of the weapons and how to correctly apply the marksmanship principles from multiple shooting positions, such as the prone position.

The Squadron's TS25 Air Rifle Range.

All cadets then completed the training package with a robust weapon handling test where they were required to demonstrate that they understood how to safely handle and operate the rifle.

The cadets then progressed to the squadron’s air rifle range, completing Cadet Live Firing Practice 1. In this introductory shoot, cadets had to put their target shooting principles into action and fire at the same target from 5.5m away, trying to group the shots as closely to one-another as possible (known as a grouping).

The Blue Shot Badge.

9 cadets successfully achieved the required standard, earning their Blue Shot badge.