Longer Ron
In your post above I can't comment on items 2 & 3 but you underestimate the problems in items 1 & 4.
I would like to comment further but I think that we are nearing the point when the contract process for the support contract will start and any accurate comments made that are critical of one party or another are likely to be grasped by the company lawyers of those who who fail to win the contract and be used as evidence of unfairness in the awarding of the contract. The result of this would likely be a contract re-run and further delay in the full return to service of the fleet.
Only when the support & type certificate holder contracts have been awarded will the full truth of the matter come to light, the good news is that both of these contracts are likely to be hotly contested by some very good companies using expertise from outside the defence sector.
Despite the contract bunfight I would hope to see some cadets in the air this summer, gliders will be avalable to fly but it is for the VGS to sort out how they get the training program up and running.
If the MoD get the right people in to run the contracts I see a bright future for air cadet flying with the technical side supplying substantial number of servicable airframes by mid 2017.
This may seem a like slow progress to some but the limiting factor is the capacity of the small gliding maintenance industry to take on the large number of VGS airframes and still support its regular civil gliding commitments.
Last edited by A and C; 11th Feb 2016 at 16:02.