Keeping it simple
[QUOTE=WB627;10699403]Although I was in the CCF at school, I did not go into the forces, so I have always been just a civvy and this is not a forum I post on lightly.
I have followed this thread since it started, as I feel, having soled at Kenley in 1974 on a Mk 3, I have some skin in this fight and feel desperately sorry for what has become of the ACO. My Dad was a staff pilot, a founder member, on 1 AEF from Biggin Hill in 1958, to Manston in 1982, having joined the RAF and trained a pilot in 1941. I worked the flight line at Manston as a supernumerary staff cadet as often as I could whilst I was in the CCF, so cadet flying is in the blood, so to speak.
My eldest son now 35, was in our local ATC and the deterioration in cadet flying since he was in it, is quite depressing.
Throughout my career (in construction) I had a mantra, KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid. It worked. Rocket science not required. We had a Slingsby Grasshopper at school, one or two steps down from the Mk 3, but I learnt a lot from flying that. So I wonder if a new build Mk 3 is the way to go. It ticked all the boxes then, there are some still flying and I canot imagine they would not tick all the boxes now. It was simple uncomplicated, easy to maintain and easy to fly.
The only problem as I see it, would be the MOD procurement process, which no doubt would turn it into a multi £billion project for someone like BAE, which would never get off the ground
.
Great Image WB, Interesting design exercise Replacement MK3, Of course apart from the 'basic' features of the MK3 (which made it very suitable for a low time first solo) the schools were backed up by a first class servicing operation MGSP which kept the fleet in tit top order. Considering the ground handling they needed and got from untrained Cadets, the wood and fabric construction stood up very well, and the end result was the best value for money 'trainer' the RAF ever had, with many still flying (some with an engine).The MK3 suited the slightly odd shaped airfield at Kenley, but the low cable break exercise had to be correctly flown for the particular 'run in use' with little margin for error. Our boss at the time reduced the odds of a problem by keeping a 'solo cable' (no knots) proving that the organisation had some wonderful competent people watching over the system before H&S existed. Another little added safety feature was the winch driver had to be 'cleared' for 'first solo launching' such was the attention given to keeping it as safe as possible. Nowadays it would be called risk assessment (then it was normal good practice) with no paperwork !!! Having seen and been part of that era I know all to well what a great experience it gave the Cadets, those that continue to give their time do so under an increasing burden of non flying workload, and it is to their credit that they have kept the system going 'despite' the chaos bestowed upon them from above, VENTURE ADVENTURE difficult to kill off I am pleased to say.