Agreed, I am an AEF pilot and I feel we are missing something by just offering cadets an infrequent chance to fly at a VGS or AEF. A self build project at a few bases would encourage teenagers to get a more inclusive view of how aircraft work and even help build one during weekends and holidays.
The MOD offer limited flying scholarships why not widen that to offering teenagers an engineering scholarship based around a self build project and pull them into places like Cosford to learn some aerospace engineering skills?
Boeing are funding the schools scheme because among other reasons it offers good
PR. I suspect that Airbus and others might well be interested in supporting a cadet self build programme if it was properly supervised.
I should add i am not trying to usurp the role of the AEFs, VGS or service gliding and flying clubs but rather to expand it to include a self build programme.