Flying even in gliders was never, and is never going to be cheap. The ATC existed only because the RAF was able to make a case to the Government of the day to fund an organisation intended to make some youngsters interested in flying. The benefit the RAF hoped to get (and indeed did get) was a source of potential recruits, Not just potential aircrew, but people who were air minded and wished to take part in activity which might include flying. However this must have cost a lot of money to set up and while the majority of the actual work was done by volunteers there was a cost in providing a structure of RAF personnel to organise it. Clearly this case is harder to make now that the technology has moved on and only fairly skilled and well educated staff are now required. This fact may have escaped some of you. The 'boy scout type' activities are no longer likely to attract the modern youngster who has so many other potential ways of spending their spare time.
I know lots of ATC instructors (I was taught to fly by them!) and I know what dedication and skill they brought to their involvement in the ATC. Times have moved on however and the objectives set for the ATC these days seem a bit foggy to me.
I was a founder member of the Staffordshire Gliding club in 1963 which took over the (now disappeared under housing) airfield at Meir near Stoke on Trent. Initially we tried to interest our company (English Electric) in funding a gliding club as part of the sports activity, When they heard how much money we needed they turned us down flat. We then got together a group of employees who wanted to learn to fly (note 'learn to fly" with no other aims like the ATC) and raised enough money to buy a T31, a tatty ex army Landrover, and a second hand winch from The Derby and Lancs club. The ATC instructors, who had been running the ATC squadron at Meir now disbanded, were delighted to join our new club and we started flying in early 1964.
We were fortunate that one of the ex ATC instructors was able to get clearance from the BGA to become CFI (on condition that he completed his silver C )and he also generously funded the purchase of more aircraft - a Tutor, an Olympia 2B and later on a Capstan and a Swallow. Without his financial backing we would have got off to a very slow start. I was appointed Technical Officer (I am a Chartered Mechanical Engineer trained by Rolls-Royce) and we had other specialisms available to us right at the start, so we were a well organised bunch. I was the first member of the nascent club to get off solo and I was swiftly followed by several others. None of this could have happened without a considerable input of money. MONEY is probably at the bottom of what is happening here. The RAF probably want the ATc to go away now that it no longer needs you.
Last edited by Olympia 463; 21st Dec 2017 at 11:15.