Fees and Costs

Fees

The ATC does not receive any direct financial assistance from the Defence Force or Government, making No. 6 Squadron entirely dependent on fees and fundraising.

Fees for 2025 are based on projected running expenses:

Basic 1 - $440(includes Squadron T-Shirt, first camp, and $50 uniform bond)

Basic 2 - $280

Proficiency - $250

Advanced - $230

NCOs - $200

Fees can be paid anytime to the unit bank account 12-3011-0816674-000, or on a Monday evening parade via cash.

Upon joining, first year cadets spend the first 6 weeks of the term as probationary members of the unit, and may pay their fees at the completion of this period, when they will be issued with their Record of Service booklet, complete their first training camp, and be issued their uniforms. (Please talk in confidence to the Unit Commander re financial hardship).

As the Committee is aware of the need to keep fees as low as possible, further fundraising activities are necessary throughout the year to cover more major items of expenditure. Parents who feel unable (for one reason or another) to do their share with fundraising activities are invited to make a financial donation in lieu of help.

Over and above the annual fee, there may be special fees for activities like gliding and certain camps, but the Unit Support Committee endeavours to subsidise most activities to keep costs down.

What do the fees cover?

The fees and bond cover hire of the uniform, Monday night training, core unit training camps/tramps, the use of squadron equipment such as tents on unit activities and most core training activities.

The fees do not cover any costs of personal equipment on camps (see below), food on activities, gliding, experiential camps (such as the third year snow tramp), Black Uniform shoes (most cadets use school shoes), and some optional team building activities through the year.

Parents will be informed well before the activity what the expected cost will be.

Being a cadet isn't very expensive, however there are annual fees, as well as certain items of equipment which are quite useful to own. Most core equipment can be hired from the unit for the first year.

Camping Equipment

In the first year, parents may have the further expense of equipping their cadet for camping. We recommend hiring equipment in the first year.

Advice on likely costs & possible discounts can be sought from the Basic 1 Flight Commander. Apart from providing food for their cadet, parents do not normally have any extra charges for standard weekend training camps.

Some common consumables such as butane gas and pack liners can be purcahsed from the unit, as well as freeze dried food for camps or tramps.

Likely equipment that may be required includes:

Pack

Sleeping Bag, 3 Season

Cooking/Eating Utensils

Warm Clothes

Wet Weather Gear

First Aid Kit

Primus Stove

Boots

Foam Sleeping Pad

Cadets will be advised when equipment is required. (A full equipment list for parents is available.)