Air Cadets grounded?

[DaveUnwin]

Seconded Wander. And its also about fostering 'air mindedness'. Forget all the careers (including mine) - we'll never know how many people might have complained about a low-flying RAF aircraft, but didn't, because they empathised. Because, in their minds eye, they still remembered climbing out of a T-21 or T-31 many years ago, when they too, flew an aircraft with RAF markings. Finally, when I wrote about the advantages of taking kids gliding for Pilot magazine I pointed out that "Every week we hear about problems with disaffected teenagers, with some social observers pointing out that a great deal of their disaffection simply stems from the fact that they have nothing to do. Far too many greedy councils sold off playing fields to be turned into supermarkets, while swimming pools, sports centres and youth clubs are shut to save money. It’s no wonder the kids are bored! If I was rich, I’d certainly set up some sort of charitable Foundation to help disadvantaged teenagers enjoy a day out at a gliding club, as I’ve always felt that air sports can be very valuable in promoting the social, intellectual and physical development of teenagers. With gliding we have an activity which offers both physical and mental exercise, instils pride in solo achievement, and yet is only made possible with teamwork. Soaring flight requires the practical application of lessons learned in maths, physics and geography, while even relatively mundane airfield tasks such as keeping the log can teach young people another very important lesson- learning to take responsibility.
To become a good pilot requires discipline and self-discipline, while a good day’s gliding combines all the elements of a great day out - fun, excitement, exercise and adventure in the fresh air. Just what you want when you’re a teenager. I read recently that a new medical problem (currently more prevalent in the US than here – but it’s only a matter of time) is the increasing number of children being treated with the drug methylphenidate. It is used for conditions such as attention deficit disorder, but unfortunately (although perhaps unsurprisingly) some eventually become dependent on the drug. Of course, you may well feel that encouraging children to ingest powerful psychostimulants isn’t a great idea in the first place, particularly when a 2010 study on methylphenidate indicated that the drug doesn't promote a good academic outcome. Interestingly, there is evidence that participation in air sports can actually be therapeutic for some of these individuals, resulting in an improvement in their attitude to life – and I can well believe it."

As the Prangster recalls, he got a rush that day he still remembers - and the adrenaline it released was a lot better for him than any amount of methylphenidate.