2026-06-29

The Belgian Air Cadets are now flying in formation with the Belgian Air Force!
The official integration of the Belgian Air Cadets (BAC) into the structure of our Air Force is not just an administrative signature; it is the culmination of a process that has been intensively worked on for five years. This historic step was sealed by the signature of the Air Chief, Major General Bruno Beeckmans, under the watchful eye of the Chairman of the Royal Belgian Air Cadets, Lieutenant General aviator (ret.) Guido Van Hecke, and Brigadier General Patrick Goossens, Deputy Director of the European Air Group (EAG). With his extensive international experience – including his role as chairman of the ENJJPT (Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training) steering committee and his position as Head of Training – he knows very well what a good education can mean for a future Belgian Air Force pilot. He led, among other things, the working group for future pilot training and the integration of new basic training aircraft, making him closely involved in the professional training of our pilots.
Where the Belgian Air Cadets previously operated as an autonomous non-profit organization (vzw), they have now structurally "come home" to the Air Force. The big difference? Stability. Previously, operations were dependent on ad-hoc arrangements or volunteer efforts; now, the support, from logistics to safety standards, is directly anchored under the wings of the military hierarchy.
In a time when the aviation sector is crying out for technical talent and young pilots, the BAC acts as a strategic "nursery." With this, the Ministry of Defence recognizes that gliding is the ideal stepping stone to a career in the Air Force. By now structurally embedding the Cadets, the Ministry of Defence takes full responsibility for the success of this unique trajectory.
The Air Cadets are now flying in formation with the Air Force itself. It is a powerful signal that the Ministry of Defence believes in the youth and in the power of a passion that is literally "aimed at the sky."
More info Air Cadets : https://www.belgianaircadets.com/
Info and images: Belgian Air Force and Belgian Air Cadets.
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Source: Aviation Day