Having read all the messages here, and seen the thread drift onto bashing of VR / CI's I feel the need to post a comment or two.Allow me to explain why I'm more than a little hacked off by the attitude of some of you.
I joined the ATC as a cadet in 1965. Apart from a two year break to get married, I've been with them ever since. I've held every rank, and done every job (apart from Padre!) from cadet second class to squadron commander in the last 49 years. Based on that experience I offer the following thoughts:
1 There are poseurs in all walks of life, including the RAF and the ATC. Just reading back through PPrune archives will support this. Having spent all my working life in the offshore industry I have met one or two (dozen)
2 Yes, we are a "uniformed youth club", however, we try to instill service ethos and values at all levels.
3 In my experience there are more than a few in our parent service who treat us with disdain. I can recall being on my officer training course at Air Cadet Training Centre, where we were intriduced to one of the Corps 'wheels'. When he opened is talk by telling us he'd not actually seen an ATC cadet for 20 years, he rather lost the audience.... We also met the then AOC (Peter N**) who was less than impressed with that attitude.
4 As a squadron commander my greatest fear was that I'd take cadets on an activity and something would go wrong. Thus we all take their health and safety very much to heart. I'm told that the latest restriction on cadet over night activities is due to Army Cadets not following the rules (I'll willingly stand correction from thse who know more).
5 What many of you seem to overlook is that we work on the squadrons in our free time. Many of us work a full week,then pull on the blue suit and get on with the job.
6 We are very frustrated that we can't fly the kids in either the Tutors, or at the gliding schools. It's costing us cadets, as we have had minimal flying for a year or more. Whilst we know and understand the reasons why, try explaining that to a 13 year old who just wants to fly.
Having had my rant, let me end on a more positive note. Back in February, I took some cadets up to RAF Wyton to get their first flights. Juat after we got back I saw something one of the kids had written about their experience. Their closing comment was "...it was the best day of my life". Comments like that make aged instructors proud, and not a little humbled, and mean that the scorn some of you have shown will just bounce off.
...and to those at RAF Wyton, thanks!
