Originally Posted by
Sook
The now OC 2FTS looked a the Gliding Syllabus back when he was Commandant North Region. Anyone with Bader Sharepoint access will probably be able to find it (do a global search for "GLIDING SYLLABUS"). Basically it looked at spliting the GS in two - into Initial Glider Training (mostly general handling) and GS (circuits, emergencies and solo).
As a WGLO, I attended a meeting where this was discussed. The proposal was to use both Vigilants and Vikings on the same VGS. The rationale was for Vigilants to be used for the upper air work and Vikings for the circuits, on the basis that Vigilants were in essence "touring" gliders, not designed for circuit bashing and hence it would reduce the impact on their fatigue life (I may stand corrected on that point). Whether it happened I don't know, as I left the ACO shortly afterwards. That said, my local VGS suffered more than most of the others, having been told to cease flying in April 2013 when the former RAF Watton was sold to a private landowner. As far as I know, they've hardly flown since, as they relocated (eventually) to Honington, it didn't go smoothly and that was before the current grounding commenced....