One big difference between the AEFs and VGSs that is often completely forgotten is that the AEFs have considerably more funded, full-time support. On a VGS all the staff are complete volunteers and give up many, many hours to do all the admin, h&s, engineering, cleaning, flying, training etc........ On an AEF they have a full-time paid Flt Cdr, 100% engineering and ground support provision and so on... That is not to critiscise the AEFs people in any way, I feel they are a crucial component of the ACO flying ethos, but please don't think that the VGSs can just take on the AEF task and do it as well. Many VGSs are already really struggling for staff due to the commitments required... and I can say that as a current A2 on a Vigilant VGS.
At the end of the day, the money spent on VGSs and AEFs is not big bucks in the grand scheme of things - just look at the average balance sheet for Fast Jet logs support - it makes me so sad to think that we good lose things like UASs and AEFs due to across the board budget salami slicing. It seems to me that 2005 could be a sad year for many aspects of the RAF.