ACW418, you're obviously not fully aware of the implications of the Haddon-Cave report and how, in recent years, military airworthiness has moved on. Leon Jabachjabicz hit the nail right on the head inasmuch that if there were to be an incident/accident the BOI would have picked glaring holes within the engineering support of the VGS. Hence, when minors are involved, the organisation risk a whole lot more than losing a few weeks flying... funding could be removed for good! This issue is NOT about the fact that the VGS has been operating satisfactorily for the previous thirty years; it's about compliance with the regulatory authority... the MAA.
Like it or not, the Viking and the Vigilant are military aeroplanes and they come under the same regulatory umbrella as any other front-line aeroplane. The parents of these youngsters expect professionalism within the VGS... and that's precisely what they're getting.
TCF