23/02/2026
Recently on a cold dark morning in February a group of Horncastle Air Cadets and their staff, along with invited cadets from neighbouring squadrons, left Horncastle at 5am to visit the Williams F1 team at their Headquarters near Oxford.
By 9am we had arrived and were invited into their corporate hosting facility. After a quick introduction, the cadets were taken through to a large auditorium where they were given their task for the day. Design a nose cone which will protect the driver in the event of am accident.
Working in small teams of five, the cadets had to design their nose cone, whilst taking into consideration time and costs. Once their design was built they had to present to the audience what they had built. Their designs were then tested on a crash test rig. The team with the most successful design won a prize.
After lunch, the cadets and staff were given a guided tour around the Williams F1 museum where genuine race cars from their almost 50 years history are on display.
Next came the highlight for many of the visitors, a chance to drive and race in Williams’ very own Esport Lounge. The cadets had the chance to race against each other on such iconic tracks as Silverstone and Monico. The overall winner collected a signed Williams F1 poster. Before departing for home, each cadet received some unique gifts to remember their visit. Tired but happy, we all arrived back in Horncastle at 7:30pm.
Atlassian Williams F1 Team
Trent Wing Air Cadets OC Trent Wing RAFAC
Central & East Region Air Cadets
Commandant Air Cadets
