AIR cadets were given a supersonic lecture when a former Concorde captain was a guest at their headquarters. Captain John Hutchinson gave a stimulating talk to 22 Sandy Squadron Air Training Corps about his flying career first with the RAF and then with B

AIR cadets were given a supersonic lecture when a former Concorde captain was a guest at their headquarters.

Captain John Hutchinson gave a stimulating talk to 22 Sandy Squadron Air Training Corps about his flying career first with the RAF and then with British Airways.

Captain Hutchinson captivated the cadets with tales of his 15 years flying the supersonic airliner and a career that saw him fly 60 aircraft including the Jet Provost, Vampire, Shackleton and Boeing 747.

But he told the cadets flying Concorde was the best, saying: "It was a beautiful aircraft to fly, you could fly it with one finger and a thumb it was that easy.

"Flying at nearly 60,000ft and at a speed of Mach 2 you could see the curvature of the earth. It was as though the aircraft was hanging in the air, as there is no sensation of supersonic speed.

"From Sandy to Hyde Park Corner in London at supersonic speed would take two minutes."

He also told the enthralled cadets he couldn't believe he got paid for being a pilot because it was his hobby and something he had always wanted to do from the age of eight.

During his career captain Hutchinson met many famous people including Battle of Britain ace Douglas Bader as well as film stars, politicians and sports personalities.

He told the cadets if they wanted to be a pilot, whether it is in the RAF or civil flying, to go for it because it is the best job ever and a wonderful career.

One cadet who will be getting closer to aircraft is James Coates who left the squadron recently to join the Army Air Corps.

He is currently undergoing his basic training and will then become a member of the ground crew looking after the Apache helicopter.

During Easter cadets from the squadron will attend a camp in Norfolk undertaking adventure training while Cpl Robert Young will go on a two-week camp in Cyprus.

Later in the year the Sandy squadron's commanding officer Flt Lt Margaret Bell will attend an international air cadet exchange in the Netherlands where she will be escorting cadets from the UK while they meet cadets and staff from other countries during a cultural visit to Amsterdam.