Ascent Flight Training

17/09/2026

The Ascent team at are always keen to tackle new experiences and were delighted to take part in the recent Cornwall Business Challenge, stepping out of their comfort zones for a day of demanding outdoor challenges. A true collaboration across Ascent, our military colleagues and suppliers Draken, the Culdrose team demonstrated how successful partnerships are built on trust, communication and teamwork, while raising money to support 's work with young people across Cornwall.

The team faced a variety of physical and mental challenges designed to test their resilience, problem-solving abilities and team cohesion. From navigating caves and squeezing through tight underground passages, to tackling water-based and engineering-inspired tasks, every activity required them to work together and support one another to achieve a shared goal. Congratulations to all for embodying the collaborative spirit that exists at Culdrose! 🎉

10/09/2026

It won't be long until the first trainees begin our new mission aircrew training system, and building work on new infrastructure at and is progressing well.

At Culdrose, we are working towards building completion in the spring, with the ground floor largely skimmed and the first-floor partitions continuing. The brickwork is now up to the top of the windows on the ground floor and glazing has commenced. The externals continue at a steady pace with the removal of legacy structures in readiness for the commencement of the hard and soft landscaping. The new operational support base has been named the St Merryn Building. St Merryn is a tiny, picturesque village in North Cornwall that has been associated with 750 NAS since RNAS St Merryn airfield was home to the reforming of the Squadron in 1952.

At Cranwell, the construction phase is fast approaching conclusion, with Babcock International Group and Kier Group PLC starting to demobilise and reinstate the area. The new Hannah-Hay building honours FS John Hannah VC, who was the youngest recipient of the VC for aerial operations, and Air Cdre Nick Hay, who was the ISTAR Fce Cdr from 2018 to 2022, during which time he was a staunch supporter of ISTAR MA.

The new mission aircrew training system will bring substantial advances to training at both Culdrose and Cranwell, enhancing the UK’s key defence capabilities and investing in local communities. The massive scaling of this service will result in a four-fold increase in critically important mission aircrew trainees to 140 per year for the Royal Navy and RAF. It will deliver the latest training advances through UKMFTS, to meet growing ISTAR and UAS demands of the military frontline.

03/09/2026

As part of our role as Training Service Partner under the UK Military Flying Training System ( ), it is important that Ascent engages with industry and is familiar with the range of training aircraft and associated training systems currently available on the market. This is even more essential following the announcement in the Defence Investment Plan of the UK’s Jet Training System programme, replacing the Hawk T1 & T2, whilst we await confirmation of the procurement approach. Many of these training aircraft were showcased at this year’s Farnborough International Airshow.

Following previous visits to the International Flight Training School in Italy to fly the M-346, and to Sacheon in the Republic of Korea to fly the T-50, Ascent recently had the privilege of visiting Turkish Aerospace Industries T.A.I (TAI) facilities in Ankara, where QFI Gary Clark got to experience the HÜRJET first hand.

Great credit to TAI for the remarkable progress achieved with HÜRJET and its wider portfolio of aerospace platforms. Thanks to the entire TAI team for their hospitality and openness throughout the visit. We have been consistently impressed by the professionalism, transparency and warm welcome extended by all of our industry partners as we continue this journey.

Ascent's next stop is Switzerland, to see first hand how Pilatus is approaching 5th-generation fast jet training through its PC-21-based training system.

31/08/2026

We are delighted to support the amazing work carried out by Jon Egging Trust, helping young people gain skills and confidence.

On the Ascent ✈️

We're proud to partner with Ascent Flight Training, who have supported JET since 2015.

Alongside vital funding, Ascent colleagues have contributed an incredible 264 volunteer hours over the years, helping our Blue Skies students explore new pathways and opportunities through CV writing workshops, employability skills sessions, flight simulator experiences and insights into aviation careers.

Workplace visits and experiences like these have a real impact, with 91% of students reporting increased confidence and 85% reporting improved leadership skills.

Thank you for your continued support, Ascent.

27/08/2026

How experienced are our instructors? Well Ascent QHI, Chris Hearn, has just reached the amazing milestone of 9,000 flying hours, while conducting a Double Head Circuit sortie with two current 2MAW trainees .

Chris began his aviation career in 1987, after completing pilot training with the Army Air Corps, and has enjoyed a distinguished 39-year flying career, including numerous overseas deployments and command appointments at both unit and squadron level. In 1999, he achieved the prestigious A1 Qualified Helicopter Instructor grading, a testament to his exceptional instructional ability and professional standards.

Chris’s 9,000-hour milestone reflects not only remarkable skill and dedication, but also the lasting impact he has had on generations of military aviators throughout an outstanding career. Congratulations Chris! 👏🚁

19/08/2026

Graduations are a great reminder of why the Ascent team do what we do! Congratulations to all our trainees who are graduating this summer, including those on Courses 310-28 and 310-29 from the Texan Basic Fast Jet Training Programme at .

Reviewing Officer, Air Vice-Marshal Ian Sharrocks, Air Officer Commanding 22 Group said: “These graduates have shown the skill, resilience and determination needed to succeed in military aviation. They represent the very best of our future fighting capability and the next generation of combat aircrew who will defend the UK and its interests.”

Graduates included Flt Lt Arshdeep Singh Dang, the first Sikh trainee to graduate on the Texan aircraft at 4FTS under UKMFTS and the first Sikh to be awarded RAF wings since WWII. He told the Indian Express: “It was my paternal grandfather Sardar Santokh Singh Dang’s dream that my father should be a pilot. But my grandfather died when my father was just 6. So my father never really had those opportunities or resources to fulfil his wish. My parents encouraged me, and I started to believe that I could be a pilot. And it happened.”

16/08/2026

On 2026, Ascent celebrates an amazing decade of rotary wing training. Our rotary wing teams at and – with our Juno and Jupiter aircraft – have now graduated 1,000+ trainees and instructors and continue to provide safe, consistent, high-quality flying training for the UK and our NATO colleagues , in partnership with our military colleagues. Working together to turn potential into protection, now and into the future.

13/08/2026

Families Day at is a great opportunity for the Ascent team to spend time with military and civilian colleagues, share some of the amazing things we do at , and celebrate those who work together as part of RAF Valley Whole Force. This year we also cheered on staff who are members of Team Raven – the world’s biggest civilian aerobatic display team – as they entertained the crowds. Events such as Families Day remind us that success is underpinned by the families and friends who support us. One team. One community. One Valley.

07/08/2026

Ascent's people come from a range of backgrounds, bringing to our business a diverse mix of skills and expertise gained through their careers and hobbies. Nick Riddin, Deputy Chief Prefect Pilot at for example is a talented aerobatic pilot and recently flew his self-built DR-107 One Design aircraft at the British Aerobatic Association's Open Aerobatic Championship.

Ascent was proud to support this prestigious event this year, and Nick delivered an impressive performance, amongst a strong international field of experienced competitors. Our thanks to British Aerobatics for sharing this clip from Nick's first day of competition.

30/07/2026

The Ascent team at was delighted to once again support ‘Cranfest’, the station's families day and local engagement event. As long-standing backers of Cranfest, this was a great chance for us to share a ‘hands-on’ experience with our virtual reality trainer demo, chat about our work with and offer insights into our career opportunities. A fantastic event in the Cranwell calendar for Ascent to stay connected with the station and wider local community, building on the strength of our ever-growing partnership.