Originally Posted by
Sky Sports
On the downside the 'air' has very definitely been ripped out the air cadets and flogged on.
It was starting to happen years ago hence why Rob Walton, then OC 2409 (RAF Halton) Sqdn ATC started the microlight AEF project at Halton late '80s or early '90s (don't know exactly when; as it wasn't an 'official' Air Cadet activity I purposely kept away from it until I and other adult staff with PPLs were 'officially' invited to attend Halton on 26 May '91 to see what it was like) in which I participated and which eventually was developed to provide microlight Flying Scholarships. Sometime after this (possibly later in '91 or mid '92?) , AOC Air Cadets attended Halton to try out the AX3 for himself.
We flew weekdays only so as not to 'clash' with 613 VGS which was using Vigilants although we were permitted to fly from the parallel glider runways if we did want to operate at the same time; no problem with a microlight of course and eventually with HQAC funding, some 19 Air Cadet Microlight/PPL badges were awarded but unfortunately when this project ended so did the microlight operation due lack of funds.
It was of course, never intended that microlights should replace gliders, they were only initially intended to provide extra AEF, so when HQAC funded the Microlight Flying Scholarships using Chevvrons(!) in late '96, it was a bonus.