Pobjoy
Perhaps you should consider the bigger picture? Look at the following:
23 May 82 - Chipmunk - Cambridge Airport. 5 AEF Aircraft flew into the ground due to Pilot incapacitation, pilot suffered major injuries, Cadet uninjured.
12 Aug 93 - Wessex - North Wales. Helicopter tail rotor failure and crashed into lake. 3x cadets killed.
26 Aug 93 - Chipmunk - St Athan (aircraft from Benson). Aircraft stalled during turnback maneuver. RAFVR pilot killed, ATC CI passanger badly injuried.
05 Aug 95 - 2 x Viking Gliders - Sealand - mid air collision while soaring in same thermal, one aircraft crashed killing the civilian instructor and Cadet on board, while the other instructor (who was badly injured) managed to land his aircraft with an uninjured cadet on board.
05 Mar 99 - Bulldog - Leuchars - Cat 5 due to heavy landing during AEF staff continuation training turnback maneuver.
11 Feb 09 - 2x Grob Tutor - St Athan - mid air. Both collided killing both pilots and both cadets.
14 Jun 09 - Grob Tutor - Benson - mid-air with glider. Both pilot and cadet killed. Glider pilot survived.
The last 2 accidents some 6 years ago are effectively the 'watershed' moment for Air Cadet flying, in my opinion. Regardless of what is being flown - Tutor/Viking/Vigi - and the RAF is found 'wanting' and I suspect that flying Air Cadets would be 'ENDEX'. The RAF took a right mauling over the final 2 accidents (and rightly so), a repeat in Air Cadet flying would be a disaster for all concerned.
So it's not really being "risk averse" but more a case of understanding the risk, realising that flying minors takes a higher level of responsibility and acting when you know something is wrong. No one would thank 2FTS if they knew there were known issues and they continued to fly and there was an accident (even if unrelated directly to an accident). The days of turning a blind eye and hoping everything will be alright, are over - people will be held culpable these days.
LJ