WE'RE NORTH DELTA'S AIR CADETS.

819 Squadron was first formed March 15, 1972. 819 Skyhawk Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron (RCACS) serves the Delta area as one of British Columbia's best Air Cadet Squadrons. With close to 130 cadets, 9 Canadian Forces officers, and a strong parent Sponsoring Committee, the squadron offers youth aged 12 to 18 an extremely interactive and beneficial training program centered on aviation, leadership, survival training, range, drill and citizenship.

On its inception in 1972, 819 Squadron was officially known as the 819 North Delta Lions Squadron. The Squadron motto of “Ad Altior Tendo” was adopted from the Melville family of Edinburgh, which means “to strive for higher”. In 1977 the Air Cadet League of Canada authorized a change of sponsorship from the North Delta Lions club to that of an Independent Sponsor, and we became officially known as the 819 North Delta Skyhawk Squadron.

Ever since the squadron's inception, 819 has grown to become a thriving place for today's youth to develop their skills and experiences, backed by our rich history of standing out within the region in areas such as band, first aid, drill and marksmanship through our participation in several competitions and events that highlighted our training program.

The cadet training year is split up into two parts: local training and summer training. Between the months of September and June, 819 conducts local training on Tuesday nights from 18:30hrs to 21:30hrs at the Squadron’s Headquarters. On these parade nights, we teach interactive classroom training that will benefit you for the rest of your life. On certain weekends, cadets can participate in optional practical training activities such as familiarization flying and survival training exercises. This is often times the most fun part of the program!

The second part, summer training, takes place between the months of July and August. During these months, cadets are sent as ambassadors of 819 on various summer training courses that are specific to a certain aspect of the cadet program. This is also the time when cadets have the chance to receive a Glider Pilot’s License and/or a Private Pilot’s License (free of charge) through summer training courses. If aviation isn’t your thing, you can attend other summer training courses based on topics such as Leadership, Survival, Physical Fitness and Instruction where you receive a weekly training allowance (you get paid to go!).

If you are a cadet that has recently joined our squadron, we encourage you to make some friends and talk to your fellow cadets about their experiences within the program. Parents are also encouraged to get involved with fundraising and recruiting activities through the parent sponsoring committee. If you are still thinking about joining and are simply gathering information about the Air Cadet Program, keep in touch with us and let us know of any questions that you may have. Also, please feel free to call to set up an appointment to tour the squadron facilities and see what a training night is really like!