417 (City of Bayside) Squadron

417 (City of Bayside) Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets Information for Prospective Parents & Recruits 2027

Recuiting is now open for our Febuary 2027 intake!

All applications must be submitted through the EOI portal. We are unable to accept EOIs submitted by email or phone.

Due to the high volume of applications we expect to receive, please allow some time for applications to be processed. We encourage applicants to complete the online form promptly and ensure that all information provided is accurate and up to date.

Application Process

Once your initial EOI has been reviewed, suitable applicants will be prompted via an email link to provide additional information through the cadet management system.

Applicants who successfully complete this stage and meet the suitability requirements will be contacted by email regarding a compulsory in person information session, expected to be held during November/December 2026.

Places in the 2027 intake are limited. Following the initial intake process, a limited waitlist may be established. Please note that placement on the waitlist does not guarantee that a position will become available.

Important Information When Completing the EOI

When entering cadet details, please ensure that you enter the information for the prospective cadet, not their parent or next of kin. There are separate sections later in the application where parent/guardian and next of kin details should be entered.

Please also ensure that you provide a reliable personal email address for the applicant. We strongly recommend not using school email addresses or iCloud email addresses, as these may experience issues receiving emails from the cadet management system.

Please check your email regularly after submitting your EOI, including your junk or spam folder, to ensure you do not miss any correspondence from the Squadron.

417SQN Continues to take adult staff volunteer applications at any time.

417 (City of Bayside) Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets History & Formation

No. 17 Squadron - Air Training Corps, was originally raised in Caulfield on the 22nd of July, 1942 during the Second World War. What would become the Squadron of today was formed as No 17 Flight in July 1956, originally a Town Flight at Caulfield. It relocated later to a new premise at Noel Street, Brighton, adjoining the Army Drill Hall, sharing, when necessary some of the Army's facilities. No 3 Flight was amalgamated briefly in mid-1970's to form 3/17 Flight, until No 3 Flight was re-raised at Dandenong in 1978.

On the 17th December 1984, No 17 Flight was presented by Brighton Council with a Flag of the City of Brighton and a Scroll of Honour, conferring on it the title 'City of Brighton.' When The City of Brighton amalgamated with boarding cities (Sandringham, Mordialloc and Moorabbin) on 14th December 1994 to form Bayside City Council, the name was transferred, providing the title: 17 (City of Bayside) Flight. The Squadron was relocated to Labuan Barracks at Sandringham in November 2000 after the ADF sold the original Noel Street Premises.

On 1st July 2001 changes were made to better reflect the Air Training Corps relationship with its parent Service, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). This meant that the Flight was renamed to 417 (City of Bayside) Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets, which remains the official title today. In alignment with RAAF traditions, Squadron have acquired Banners as a means of fostering esprit de corps. The Motto of the 417 Squadron Banner read "Ex Nihilo Nihil." In Latin the phrase "from nothing comes nothing" represents the Squadrons ability to create greatness from any situation or individual. The Squadron Crest contains the Bayside City Council Shell logo overlaid by a seagull representing the Sandringham location and the Squadrons proximity to the beach.

In 2010 417 Squadron continued to further develop its future aims and goals with an updated motto "praesume volare altior" which translated from Latin means 'dare to fly higher'.