Originally Posted by
TelsBoy
"More AEF" is not an answer as AEF does not provide any structured training programme and, even going back 15 years when I was Cdt TelsBoy, AEF only came up once a year if we were lucky, despite the nearest AEF only being an hour's drive away. Then the inevitable "so what do you want to do today then, Cdt Bloggs?" once sat in the cockpit - no structure at all.
This is a bigger problem than they realise. They probably think every cadet just wants to go and do 30 minutes of aeros, but actually a great deal want to learn how to fly... even if once they leave the cadets they never get at the controls of an aircraft again.
I was lucky and had over 10 AEF flights in my time (although 2 were air experience flights but not at "AEF" units or on a Tutor).
Only one of those was of useful value as well as enjoyment.
It was when I was 19, on a camp at Leuchars. The pilot was an ex-F3 jockey who had left the mob and was now at BA. I was a G1, had been on the ACPS the year before, and was wearing my flying suit so he could see my "G" wings name badge.
He spent 5 minutes on the ground before startup discussing what my experience was and what I'd like to do. After establishing that I was quite proficient and experienced (from a powered fixed wing point of view) compared to the vast majority of cadets he flies, and explaining that I was going to be training for my PPL the next year, he taught me some useful navigation and PFL techniques and tips which I still used even in my CPL cross country years later.
He let me taxi out, whilst covering the rudder pedals himself, so that he could draw some things on his kneeboard, and briefed me on a few things whilst holding, then got me to fly the take off, again whilst he covered the controls as I don't believe cadets are supposed to fly the Tutor below a certain height. Once a few hundred feet up he began explaining what he was going to teach me. Considering it was a last-minute and improvised brief, it was very concise and structured... I don't know whether he was a QFI in the past, or a TRI/TRE at BA, but from my experience he would have made an excellent instructor no matter what he was teaching on.
It is a shame it was not a longer flight, as it was invaluable.
It was an even bigger shame he was an exception rather than the norm.