The Ground Training Competition, or The Air Squadron Trophy Competition as it has recently been renamed, was created in 1998 as a way for CCF (RAF) sections to contest the Air Squadron Trophy.
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The Regional & National Stages
Every CCF(RAF) section that can field a full team is eligible to partake in the Air Squadron Trophy Competition. The TEST (Training, Evaluation & Support Teams) Officers & SNCOs from each area tailor the composition of their regional competition to meet local needs. In general, however, teams of 13 cadets drawn from all age groups compete in a round robin of activities that include: RAF Knowledge (13 Cadets), Drill and Uniform (13 Cadets), Command Task (8 Cadets), Shooting (5 Cadets), Aircraft Recognition (7 Cadets), First Aid (4 Cadets) and a Multi-Stage Fitness Test (4 Cadets). The first and second places teams from each of the six regions qualify for the national finals, held at RAF Halton in Spring each year.
Air Squadron Day
The first, second and third places teams are invited to attend the Air Squadron Day which is usually held in June or July each year at the Shuttleworth Collection. During the day cadets may be offered flights in aircraft belonging to the Air Squadron members. The cadets also attend a formal parade, where the Captains of the three teams receive the Geoffrey de Havilland Flying Foundation Medals for CCF Achievement along with the presentation of The Air Squadron Trophy to the first placed team.
Requirements for Entry
Each team will comprise one Team Captain (Cadet Corporal or above) and 12 other cadets, who should ideally represent a wide cross-section of age groups within the parent CCF(RAF) Section. The Team Captains role is to manage the team, to give the orders in the Drill competition and, if he or she wishes, to take part in events. An RAFVR(T) officer should accompany the teams.
Results
The results in 2009 are particularly notable as each of the top three schools won only a single discipline each (Command Task, Aircraft Recognition and RAF Knowledge respectively) but, due to high overall scores in every discipline, each managed to achieve high scores overall. In 2010 Maidstone Grammar School achieved first place in the competition for the third time in a row, being the first ever school to achieve this.