A 16-year-old Mansfield Royal Air Force (RAF) air cadet on holiday in Gibraltar with his family was delighted to be given a tour of the country’s RAF base by its station commander.

Corporal Joe Kibble was shown around RAF Gibraltar by Wing Commander Greg ‘Vasco’ Smith

Cpl Kibble, from 384 (Mansfield) Squadron, joined the cadets in January 2012 as a stepping stone to his future ambition of joining the RAF.

“I wanted to join the air cadets because I want to go into a career as a pilot in the RAF,” he said.

“I thought it would help me and give me a boost towards my future. I hope to be a fighter pilot if possible but if not, I don’t mind flying helicopters or doing anything. I would prefer to be a fighter pilot on fast jets.”

This year Joe was awarded the Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs) Choice Award for his squadron.

A student at Joseph Whitaker School, Rainworth, he is also a keen engineer and was part of a team of young engineers at the school who were awarded a world record last year.

“We currently hold the Guinness World Record for the fastest rocket-powered model car,” he said.

“When we tested the speed in October we reached a top speed of 533.1mph.”

Joe’s advice to anyone considering joining the RAF air cadets is simple: “I would recommend it to anyone. It’s fun and you learn a lot from it — your discipline, flying, field craft and shooting.

“You also go abroad and visit different places. The thing I enjoy most is that everyone knows each other so well. It’s not just friends, it’s more like family.”

384 (Mansfield) Squadron ATC is holding an open evening on 16th September, starting at 7pm, at the squadron headquarters on Botany Avenue (opposite The Towers), Mansfield.

Cadets must be 12 (and in year 8) to 17 to join. For more details find the group on Facebook at /384Mansfield