Karting is where the Royal Air Force could find the next generation of Engineers and has enlisted 14-year-old racer Aidan Young to help.
Engineering is as important in the RAF as it is in the world of motorsport. Karting can be an accessible motorsport for young people, and racers need an understanding of driving and basic engineering to compete successfully.
Aidan’s dad is Warrant Officer Iain Young, an RAF Engineer based at RAF Coningsby. He said: “If you ever go to a karting event, you’ll see the racers maintain their karts as well as drive them, and they genuinely need some engineering knowhow, and their hand-skills are particularly impressive for such a young age.”
Warrant Officer Young continued: “A lot of the kart racers are of the age where they’re starting to think about their future careers, or they’re of recruiting age. It’s what makes this sport an important place for RAF Engineering, because so many of the young people here already have an interest.”
RAF Engineering has provided sponsorship to support Aidan Young for the 2025 SuperOne National Karting Championship which will be televised live. Aidan wears specially designed and branded gear. The helmet proudly displays RAF aircraft, the RAF badge, and the RAF Engineering logo.
RAF Engineering recruits receive world class training and ongoing development so that they’re expertly skilled and able to maintain and repair the high-tech equipment needed to support operations in the air.
Karting is a dynamic and engaging sport, and it’s where many of today’s professional racing drivers started their careers. Aidan took up the sport at age 12, and now competes for Team Tom Day Racing. Although he aspires to be a Formula One driver, his real hope is to follow his dad into the RAF. His branded gear attracts a lot of interest from his fellow racers. He said: “I just want to say thank you to RAF Engineering for supporting me like this. Yeah, the other racers really like the gear. I’m getting asked about it all the time. I think what makes it stand out is that they’re not expecting to see it at a kart track.”
If Aidan realises his ambition to join the RAF, he can continue karting. Karting has a strong following in the RAF, and a history which stretches back more than 50 years. Several RAF Stations have their own tracks, the RAF organises the Armed Forces Karting Championship, and personnel are actively encouraged to take part: https://rafmsa.co.uk/karting/
Wing Commander Gemma Lonsdale is RAF Coningsby’s Chief Engineer. She said: “Motorsport is exactly the right place for the RAF to look for the next generation of engineers. They’ll see the RAF Engineering brand, and hopefully have their eyes opened to a challenging and rewarding career. Good luck for the next season’s racing Aidan, the new gear looks amazing!”
