Meet The Air Cadets Travelling With Us

Hey everyone! It's Noah.

Major Deeds and I though it would be cool to introduce you to Air Cadet delegates that have been travelling with us. As such, we let each cadet write a little bit about themselves and their impressions of the trip. You will find what they wrote below.



Carl Bindman:
Hello all. My name is Carl Bindman, and I am one third of the Canadian delegation. I come from Montreal, Quebec, which I thought was a big-ish city, until China upended any concept of scale I may have had. Which is a good thing I guess, since it was attached to one of the most interesting two weeks of my life. How's that sentence for a mouthful? Not as bad as maiming a Mandarin greeting, I assure you. Which I've done. Many times. Each more mangled than the last. But I wouldn't trade it for the world, and, uh, yeah. This was fun.

Simone Lees:
My name is Simone and I am 18. I am from South Australia, Murray Bridge (1hr South East of Adelaide). I have been in cadets for 4 years and this is definitely the best experience of my cadet career. China is so different to Australia, but I am loving it! It has put me out of my comfort zone but I am really enjoying experiencing so many different things, such as the food and the toilets! The people here are so lovely and friendly though and you always feel so welcome! I am really enjoying this experience.


Michael Burgess
My name is Michael Burgess and I am one of the representatives for the Air Training Corps (ATC) from the United Kingdom. I am from 331 Chesterfield Squadron and have been a part of the Air Training Corps since 2008. I am very lucky to have been chosen for the International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE) China. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in China and I am sure that I will remember my time here for the rest of my cadet life. China is the furthest I have traveled in my cadet career and one of the best experiences I have had. While here I have met some amazing and interesting people, both Chinese aviation cadets and delegates from other countries. I have made friends that I am sure I will keep in touch as time goes on. My time in China has been absolutely amazing and I am thankful for all that had been done to make us feel welcome, all the people are so helpful and have been so kind to us. This has been the first time IACE has been to China so that makes us all test subjects, I've thoroughly enjoyed being a test subject and really hope that IACE comes back to china so others can experience such an amazing exchange.

Madison Hendriks
My name is Madison Hendriks and I am 17 years old. I am from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. I am very proud to represent the Royal Canadian Air Cadets from Canada on the first IACE to China. I am from 809 Newark Squadron and have been part of the Air Cadet program for five years. Travelling to China has been an amazing experience that I will never forget. Before IACE, I had never been to Asia before and I now hope that this will not be my last trip to the continent. The staff, teachers and Chinese cadets we have met have made us feel welcome and aided in our immurement in the local culture. It is hard to believe that our Chinese adventure has come to our final days but I'm sure that my experiences and the friends I have met will stay with me for years to come.

Andrea Sham
Ni Hao! My name is Andrea, Hiu Kwan Sham and I am 17-year-old.  I am a cadet from Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps and this is my first time to join IACE.  I haven't been to China except for Guangdong Province.  Going to Shang Dong has widen my horizon to China, not only the history, but also the culture of China.  The experiences that I go through in Shang Dong were amazing and I have learnt a lot in this trip. Also the local cadets were too nice, they told us a lot of things such as the introduction of the tourist attraction and the habits that they have.  This trip is unforgettable and it is a great lesson for all of us. Thank you for everyone who make this trip became success.

Wilson Wong
Hi everyone. My name is Wilson Wong, from Hong Kong. It is my first time to join an exchange programme and first time to spend such a long time with cadets of other countries. During the exchange programme, IACE Shandong 2014, I have travelled to Qingdao, Yantai, Qufu, etc. I come from Hong Kong so I have learnt a lot about the Chinese culture. However, travelling to these places have further widened my horizon and increase my knowledge to China. Moreover, the best thing of an exchange programme is encountering people from different countries. We meet each other. We learn from each other. I am benefited a lot from the trip. It is an unforgettable trip in my life.

Martyn Bonham
Hello everybody, I am 17 and I am one of the IACE Delegates from the United Kingdom to Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. The first thing that I noticed when I got off of the aeroplane was the intense heat and humidity compared to the UK. Next was the hospitality and friendship that the people of Shandong showed to us. Chinese history and culture is fascinating and intricate - I have learnt a lot whilst here, especially about Confucius, the Chinese Civil War and the aviation economical and technological development currently going on in Shandong. I have made many new friends and memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
P.S Airline blankets were GIVEN to us!

James Arvey
Greetings! My name is James Arvey and I am 18 years old. I am here in China representing the United States. This is my second exchange as I went to Canada last year. This exchange has been a life changing experience, I have seen the extremes of weather, culture, and food. The biggest thing for me was the general attitude of the public. The aggressive drivers and the public's attitude toward us. I really appreciate being allowed on this exchange and I wish the SDAIA the best of luck in the future and I hope all of my new Chinese cadets friends make their dream of flying a reality!

Joshua Kingshott
Hello I am a Cadet Under Officer at No. 723 Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets which is based in Joondalup, Western Australia. Having been in cadets for 4 years I consider this IACE to be the pinnacle of my cadet 'Career' with many great experiences including the visit to the Bin-Ao Aircraft manufacturing plant as well as the temple of Confucius and Art of War manor. In all I have been impressed with my trip to Shandong province not least to the local War Memorial which reminiscent of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, perhaps because the nature of war never changes.