Viking vs Vigilant vs Tutor ops and ......the future
There is NO simple easy one size fits all. The hierarchy may think that there is a simple "numbers" solution, but simply put, there isn't !
"Conventional Glider" ops using the Grob 103 Viking require much more of a staff quorum to commence safe operations, e.g., as well as a DI, requires Winch driver, cable pulling driver, recovery drivers, signaller in Caravan etc, and various strong people around the launch point. Additionally, on a day where sink is more prolific than lift, then beneficial training time in the air is necessarily limited. Even to run a meaningful one week course requires an awful lot of man hours, organisation and sheer hard work on the airfield, not to mention the additional factors of feeding the troops and ensuring Cadet safety off airfield at the end of each flying day, not to mention coping with non airfield entertainment on bad Wx days.
Set against that, Grob 109B Vigilant ops are more productive with far less staff, and have the luxury of determining sortie length and profile iaw operational efficiency and Cadet training needs. The aircraft were efficiently used with 100% training application whether that was GIC, BGT or SCT. There were NO Air Experience passenger flights other than on Staff or Station Open days. Hard work still needed on the ground with staff and Flight Staff cadets in vital work before flying- e.g., OOPS checks, refuelling.Same constraints apply with regard to continuous courses, organisation, but usually can be done with less staff than that required for a conventional VGS.
The idea that Grob 115 Tutor ops could act as another suitable alternative would require some changes and is probably a pipe dream, based on the concept that we have some contracted flying hours under the Babcock contract that we are not fully burning off. For instance, at the moment, the Tutor ops are basically an Air Experience sortie - i.e., backside off ground for 25 mins tops, with the passenger ( as opposed to student) being asked what they "would like to do" after watching the self brief video etc, and sitting in the air side crew room for up to 50% of the day. The pilots are NOT instructors, nor are they formally instructing in any structured sense.
Currently the AEF set up requires full Service qualification as a pilot, or ATPL and substantial flying experience, but those so qualified are NOT undertaking any structured formal training of Cadets ( be that basic or to solo standard ) as prescribed in VGS operations, where all staff are trained by ACCGS to instruct to RAF standards - i.e., B or A Cat. Whilst there are a few VGS instructors who have the required RAF/ATPL qualifications that would, on the face of it, permit them to apply to an AEF unit, it is doubtful whether little more than a mere handful would ever be accepted by an AEF Unit OC.
If there were any moves to make the AEF's perform any structured training, then the pilots would necessarily be required to be trained and qualified to instruct to a structured syllabus.
If, as has been suggested by the Serious Rumour Squad on this thread, we are looking at a limited Vigilant contingent perhaps confined to ACCGS plus one north and one south hub, due to restricted serviceable airframes, then the ACO will lose a major resource of productive flying training for Cadets. They will also lose a very well qualified staff contingent, many of whom would be unable and /or unwilling to travel afar to Viking VGS units where they may find that they would need to start again in terms of coping with Conventional Gliders and instructing in that demanding environment.
The Viking contingent may also find themselves somewhat decimated if we are to reduce operating units to possible more regional hubs or VGS's.
The overall losers will be..................of course..........the Cadets, many of whom could have passed through the ATC in the world record "pause" without ever having been in the air in the VGS at all !!! Regional hubs also have a hidden cost and efficiency issue - costs of greater distance travel, and the gamble of whether the Wx will be suitable when they arrive - with lots of disappointment when they arrive, tired from a long weary road journey.
Even were there to be an announcement of structure/sites and numbers of aircraft in the next month, the chances of any sustained recovery are driven much towards 2017 as ALL staff are out of Category, and many have found other things to do, ( or their wives have found them other things to do !!!) and some have merely been appalled by the whole proceedings.
Not, I would suggest, the cause for any great excitement just yet, but we'll have to see what the Spin Doctors come up with !
Sad times................