Risk or Lawyers benefit
Why do I get the feeling that if Bear Grylls was leading the Cadets numbers would be going up rather than down.
The Scouts are going great guns, and civvy gliding clubs sending 14 year olds solo so the problem is one of attitude.
Someone has to challenge the excuses for non delivery of potential Cadet experiences, and ask why other organisations seemingly are able to offer so much.
We need a complete change of direction from the top down, and someone has to ask searching questions as to why a civilian club can send a 14 year old solo in equipment that is certainly no better than the ATC had, and in theory still has. My old School at Kenley has just passed the 1000 th PTT badge point: to be quite honest if HQ Air Cadets had suggested that in my day we would all have 'walked' in disgust rather than pretend we were in the serious basic flying training business. (which we were and it worked just fine)