Flying Officer Daniel Azizian

ARAeS RAFVR(T)

Officer in Charge

WI(C), Weapons Coach, CSLA, Fieldcraft Instructor, Heartstart Instructor

Fg Off Azizian joined the Squadron as a cadet in 2003. In his time as a cadet, he seized as many opportunities that the Corps had to offer, including three UK summer camps, RAF Akrotiri Easter camp twice, a gliding scholarship, advanced glider training, cadet drill instructor course and many more.

On his 20th birthday, he was booted out of the Corps as a cadet, having reached the maximum age for cadet service, and served a short stint as a Civilian Instructor. On 31 May 2011, Flt Lt Breward left the Squadron as Officer Commanding, to take up a Sector Commander post looking after four Squadrons elsewhere in the Wing, and Fg Off Azizian became the Officer in Charge.

Away from cadets, Dan is an airline pilot with Thomas Cook Airlines (UK), flying the Boeing 757 from Glasgow. He trained with Oxford Aviation Academy and flew in Arizona for fours months as part of the course.

Fg Off Azizian was awarded the Commandant's Certificate for Good Service, as a cadet, in 2006.

Flying Officer Michael Wastie

RAFVR(T)

Deputy OC; DofE Officer

Fg Off Wastie has served with 2507 Squadron since joining the Corps in 1995. As a cadet, Wastie rose through the ranks to Cadet Warrant Officer, leading the Wing Band as Drum Major, attending many UK summer camps, and gaining his Bronze DoE Award.

Wastie was commissioned in to the RAFVR in 2003, served as the Squadron Training Officer and Bandmaster for two years, before re-roling as Adjutant in September 2005, and becoming Deputy OC in December 2006.

In real-life, Mike is Project Technician for Porsche specialist Autofarm, and has a ridiculous hair style.

Flight Lieutenant Stewart Longhurst

BSc(Hons) RAFVR(T)

HQAC Non-Effective Pool

ML, RCO, WI(C), Fielcraft Instructor, Heartstart Instructor

Flt Lt Longhurst joined the ATC aged 13 at 1334 (Manningtree) Squadron having waited impatiently for 2 years after seeing the cadets on a nearby church parade. Achieving Staff Cadet classification and Cadet Warrant Officer by his 18th birthday, his final activity as a cadet was to attend camp at RAF Gatow in West Berlin just 2 months before the Berlin Wall was opened up.

After a two year break during the first half of Stewart's degree course at Oxford's other University, he rejoined as an Instructor at 150 (City of Oxford) Squadron where a young CWO by the name of Breward was shortly to arrive. A year later, Stewart was commissioned as Pilot Officer and became involved in shooting, adventure training and NCO leadership development at Wing-level.

In January 1994, Stewart transferred to 1315 (Kidlington) Squadron to take up the post of Squadron Commander where he remained in post for 13 years (minus a 7 month sabbatical in Australia) and also continued adventure training and leading Wing NCO development courses.

Standing down in April 2007, he transferred back to 150 Sqn and taking time to build up further skills and qualifications in shooting and adventure training, becoming the shooting specialist for Thames Valley Wing North Area and qualifying as a Mountain Leader. In March 2010, he then transferred to 2507 Sqn to pursue new challenges.

In his professional life, Stewart is a manager in AkzoNobel's Decorative Paints Global Marketing team, responsible for innovating and exploiting digital technology around the world.

Pilot Officer Clayton Jones

RAFVR(T)

Staff Development Officer

Plt Off Jones joined as a Civilian instructor in 2008, shortly after his son started at the Squadron. With him, he brought further experience of the armed forces, having served in the Royal Air Force Reserves. Clayton soon took on the task of Deputy Training Officer, later progressing to replacing the Training Officer, who ran off to Arizona for a few months. Following a large cabinet reshuffle, Clayton now looks after the Squadron's Staff Development.

In 2010, Clayton was commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves (Training branch) as an officer, joining the team of uniformed staff.

Clayton earns a living as a Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager at Global Crossing.

Sergeant Zoe Sutcliffe

ATC

Squadron Warrant Officer, Adventure Training Officer

Drill Instructor, BELA, Low Ropes Instructor, Fieldcraft Instructor

Sgt Sutcliffe served at the Squadron as a cadet. In this time, she completed a Gliding Scholarship, attended a Summer camp in Gibraltar and completed the Silver level of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. After a break, she returned as a Civilian Instructor before going into uniform in October 2008. Zoe is now the first and only female drill instructor in Thames Valley Wing.

Out of the Squadron, Zoe seeks adrenaline by blowing up watermelons, jumping out of planes, zorbing and instructing on Low Ropes. She works as a Service Coordinator for Triple Red, a specialist supplier of laboratory equipment.

Civilian Instructors

John Brafield

Steve Castle-Mackie

Stephen Crisp

Becky Froud

Hannah Gidney

Kevin Gidney

Desmond Holdcroft

James Kelly

Jo Peck

Luke Reeves

Fiona Wastie

Rachel Welbourne

Alison Williams