On Sunday 17th May, 2428 (Hedge End) Sqn were asked by HQ Air Cadets at RAFC Cranwell to attend RAF Halton along with members of the Queens Colour Squadron and the Recruit Training Squadron (RTS) as well as the Commandant's Warrant Officer, AWO Mansfield, and other personnel from Region staff as well as a complete professional film crew.

2428 Sqn as the National Dill Champions were asked by the QCS and HQAC to create a new training DVD and photo shoot to be distributed across the entire ATC as the new ATC Banner Drill Competition. Members of the drill team who were escorted by Flt Lt Agate on this occasion would be told that they would be carrying the Air Training Corps Banner!

The day consisted of hours of filming and discussion between the staff and the team and of course the QCS and the RTS of Halton. This is because the team was now creating new moves never done before as there is so much consistency nationally about Banner Competitions and Banner Drill.

Cpl Ash Austen from the RAF's Recruit Training Sqn and QCS said ‘Everybody involved today has undertaken the task professionally and helped create history and that the cadets from 2428 will be the faces of drill in the ATC not only for the next year but for many years to come in Training DVDs and ACPs across the ATC’. The Commandant's WO, AWO Mansfield echoed his comments and thanked the members of 2428’s Drill Team and added that the team had performed brilliantly.

Sgt Lewis Wintle of 2428 who was asked to carry the Corps Banner said ‘ Not many cadets can say they were asked top carry the Corps Banner, all the drill I did had to be spot on and its a lot easier than it looks’.

2428 will continue to carry out their duties as the National Drill Squad and have been invited by the QCS to attend training days with them in the near future!