Beagle,
the 'air' bit of the ACO is both expensive and hugely rationed - when they aren't doing 'air' they have to be given something else to do, otherwise they walk.
the ATC Sqn i was previously involved with - a big, successful Sqn with lots of 'air minded youth' - was getting squatt-diddly flying or even station visits: no AEG, very little AEF, no opportunity flights.
as a cadet 20+ years ago most of the kids in my sqn over 16 had gliding wings of some type, AEF would have been every 3-4 months, AEG every 6 weeks or so, opportunity flights happened every 4 weeks or so and we did camps at places like Lossie, Marham, Odiham etc.. now? 2, perhaps 3 out of 50+ might have a gliding qual, you might get an AEF at camp, and that camp would probably not be at a flying station.
green stuff, shooting, AT etc... is cheap, and it can be organised without wondering whether someone else will cancel it without notice - little wonder its what gets done.