Originally Posted by
POBJOY
CHUG We well know how the MGSP kept us going, but they were staffed by properly trained tradesmen under the 'control' of the then centres, who in turn were backed up by tech qualified staff at HQ, who in turn had regular contact with Slingsby. Hardly a complicated system, which actually worked well and was able to adapt very quickly to replacing a machine quickly if needed. As far as the Air Cadets are concerned when we lost a UK manufacturer and the in house facility we lost control of everything. The GSA were already operating under BGA criteria so why did the largest glider fleet in the country allow itself to become 'contractor bound' to the point that know one knew what was (or was not) happening. At least the past few years has blown the myth so hopefully we will not go down this route again. Lots of money has been made by contractors not doing the business, and this must never happen again.
All the organisations that you mention are known knowns and easy Aunt Sally's, just as were 'Grossly Negligent' Chinook Pilots, risible Test Pilot Establishments, daylight low flying Hercules crews, etc, etc. All the time the real gross negligence existed far further up the food chain in the MOD's corridors of power. Thus it was with the ACO's gliders. The faceless experts who made sure that they remained airworthy did so in the main in dusty offices, just as they assured the airworthiness of the training and operational aircraft that we graduated onto after our first memorable solos with the ACO. I only learned of these dedicated highly skilled and experienced CS engineers long after leaving RAF service, indeed after retiring completely. Of all the organisational layouts that had to be absorbed for the B & C Promotion Exams, none featured the Airworthiness 'Tree', indeed I don't recall airworthiness itself being featured as a subject. If you ever thought about it you assumed that the aircraft designers did their stuff and thereafter it was down to proper servicing by RAF Ground Engineers. If you did then you were wrong! It was all down to monitoring, an occasional need for action, and reams and reams of paperwork. So boring, so unexciting, and barely apparent. That turned out to be its Achilles Heel. It could be so easily swept aside with contempt when the urgent need to release monies to compensate for a financially 'Very Brave' AMSO policy that went disastrously wrong. Orders were handed out to suborn the regs or get fired, resulting in entire fleets receiving illegal RTS's. The effects on the RAF are still with us thanks to the high level cover up that still exists. The effects on the ACO were more apparent, for as muppet rightly tells us, that was one risk that could and should be mitigated.
I admire your determination to get ATC and CCF Cadets back in the air and soloed again. I respect the selfless dedication of all those like you who set me and thousands of other prospective pilots on their first faltering steps into the air. I can only wish you all well. I suggest that if the ACO is going to rise to the skies again it does so outside of the MOD, just as Military Air Regulation and Accident Investigation must.