Having been associated with Cadet gliding now for some 60 years ending up with the privilege of commanding the top school in the country. It is with great sadness and disbelief that the organisation has deteriorated to an almost nil, real aviation one. My early experiences were the true feeling of flight, lifting my bottom off the ground in a flying machine that I would be controlling on my own. All this was being provided by the Air Training Corps for free. It was this experience that persuaded me to attempt to give service back to the organisation and cadets of the future. Sadly this seems to have gone down the pan along with any hope for the future. Maybe ‘Chilcot’ will be asked to do a report on what has brought this sorry state of affairs about. His previous report conclusions seem to follow along the same lines as what has happened the Cadet / RAF Training Organisation.
For my two-penny worth they seem to have missed some important points.
• Why solely go for cable launching gliders? This is a backward step when airfields are reducing in the UK and those that are open and willing to take gliding do not want cables wrecking their airfields. Transfer from Burtonwood to Samlesbury would not have taken place nor would Sealand to Woodvale be possible with out self-launching gliders.
• Doing away with the volunteer element also spells doom for a very cost effective operation. The spread of schools (sorry Squadrons) across the country meant reduced travelling time and hence fatigue. Centralising into smaller locations no matter what the accommodation, means weather will play an important part in complete cessation of flying some weekends. Ie not cost effective.
• Air experience although important, does not come up to a young person actually taking control of one of Her Majesties Aircraft. Giving them self control and responsibility for the future. Who are going to push and handle the cable-launched gliders over 2-5 days missing regular schooling? I cannot see paid RAF personnel doing this. Having new 6 drum winches will therefore be unnecessary as the manpower to serve them would not be there.
• Although lip service has been given to retaining some of the Vigilants it is obvious they will be disbanded within a short time. Who will maintain them in the mean time and if they can find someone to do this why not repair or renew them? What about having apprenticeships in GRP manufacturing employing cadets?
• Set up a proper procurement organisation with follow through procedures and monitoring systems and most importantly “value for money criteria”.
I am sorry to have gone on and vented my spleen, but I do feel qualified after so many years of involvement with what was a unique organisation.
One good thing out of all this is that all the redundant volunteers will no doubt be now joining the “FOGGIES” (Former Old Gliding Instructors Extension Society).
For information their email address is
[email protected].
Please note however that the views above are not the official views of FOGIES merely an astonished observation from one who started life with the Air Cadets clad in a dog collar hairy uniform.