Air Cadets grounded?
Given that, to win a place on the Pilot Scheme there is a prerequiste to have achieved a gliding solo and won your silver wings, does this mean that there will be a period of 2-3 years when no cadets are qualified to join the scheme??
Looks like those that are joining civvie gliding clubs are positioning themselves quite nicely.
Looks like those that are joining civvie gliding clubs are positioning themselves quite nicely.
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Civil maintenance cotracts
There are moves afoot to send a large number of the gliders to civil maintenance companies to get them back in the air, also civil registration is under investigation, the aim being to get the gliders under more appropriate airworthiness oversight than the MAA.
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The simple answer is no. However Cdts must have applied for a gliding course.
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[quote]Finally, we are trying to boost mental arithmetic skills. I'm no maths genius but even amongst those I teach aeronautical subjects to (talking 14-16 year olds), super simple mental arithmetic poses a much bigger challenge than I'd ever realised.[quote]
A totally brilliant idea, though, I suspect that many youngsters (these days) might have huge difficulty in just the one simple task of mentally adding two numbers together! If you could somehow instil the necessity of 'guestimating' simple trigonometry into how to estimate drift/groundspeed problems you might then give your cadets a better understanding of what they have to academically achieve in order to be a pilot. They might then make a better effort with their schooling... maybe? Though, I wouldn't hold my breath!
TCF
A totally brilliant idea, though, I suspect that many youngsters (these days) might have huge difficulty in just the one simple task of mentally adding two numbers together! If you could somehow instil the necessity of 'guestimating' simple trigonometry into how to estimate drift/groundspeed problems you might then give your cadets a better understanding of what they have to academically achieve in order to be a pilot. They might then make a better effort with their schooling... maybe? Though, I wouldn't hold my breath!
TCF
Remember that you now have a situation where the vast majority of younger teachers do not know how to do mental arithmetic. As such, its use is likely to be discouraged, nevermind just not taught.
Students of mine regard my mental math skills as nothing short of magic, which is concerning.
Without mental math skills for rough estimates, they are frequently unable to spot when a 'switch-pigs' with the button-pressing has given a ludicrous answer.
Furthermore, the vast majority do not even know how to use many of their calculator's helpful functions (such as ENG or SCI display). They aren't taught it, and no one reads a manual these days.
That said, it is possible to train them if you can build their skills gradually on topics which are of daily relevance to them (e.g. how not to be late).
Students of mine regard my mental math skills as nothing short of magic, which is concerning.
Without mental math skills for rough estimates, they are frequently unable to spot when a 'switch-pigs' with the button-pressing has given a ludicrous answer.
Furthermore, the vast majority do not even know how to use many of their calculator's helpful functions (such as ENG or SCI display). They aren't taught it, and no one reads a manual these days.
That said, it is possible to train them if you can build their skills gradually on topics which are of daily relevance to them (e.g. how not to be late).
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Leon
All is up for review in the maintenance side of the air cadet gliding fleet but my guess is the minimum standard of civil oversight that would be approved by the RAF would be EASA 145 ( the same as the Grob Tutor fleet ).
Remember that you now have a situation where the vast majority of younger teachers do not know how to do mental arithmetic. As such, its use is likely to be discouraged, nevermind just not taught. Students of mine regard my mental math skills as nothing short of magic, which is concerning.
While our fleet remains grounded I'm teaching air navigation to the local ATC squadron. Lovely kids, bright and well educated -- but entirely unable to cope with simple distance/speed/time calculations. They seem to have no concept at all of solving rule-of-three problems mentally and are astonished when I do.
What's even more striking is that despite a good deal of practice, they don't seem to be getting any better. They can just about cope by the end of the lesson but by the beginning of the following week it's gone. I've thought long and hard about my teaching technique, but they seem to be able to retain other taught skills perfectly well. So I'm a bit baffled.
While our fleet remains grounded I'm teaching air navigation to the local ATC squadron. Lovely kids, bright and well educated -- but entirely unable to cope with simple distance/speed/time calculations. They seem to have no concept at all of solving rule-of-three problems mentally and are astonished when I do.
What's even more striking is that despite a good deal of practice, they don't seem to be getting any better. They can just about cope by the end of the lesson but by the beginning of the following week it's gone. I've thought long and hard about my teaching technique, but they seem to be able to retain other taught skills perfectly well. So I'm a bit baffled.
"What's even more striking is that despite a good deal of practice, they don't seem to be getting any better. They can just about cope by the end of the lesson but by the beginning of the following week it's gone. I've thought long and hard about my teaching technique, but they seem to be able to retain other taught skills perfectly well. So I'm a bit baffled."
Why think for yourself when you have the University of Google / Youtube to answer all of your questions without thinking critically about it?
As I've mentioned in a previous post people in general have access to practically all the information they can ever need thanks to smartphones and the internet, but the underlying simple principles are neglected - everyone can use a GPS but how many can map read?
K.I.S.S.
Why think for yourself when you have the University of Google / Youtube to answer all of your questions without thinking critically about it?
As I've mentioned in a previous post people in general have access to practically all the information they can ever need thanks to smartphones and the internet, but the underlying simple principles are neglected - everyone can use a GPS but how many can map read?
K.I.S.S.
Gentleman Aviator
Students of mine regard my mental math skills as nothing short of magic, which is concerning.
They'd "found" the computer, but didn't have a scooby how to work it.
"OK" says I, "we'll work an example." They were doing an MS Flight Sim light aircraft trip IIRC.
"Airspeed?" (no wind for easy starters) "170 knots"
"Distance?" "51 nautical miles"
"Don't need the computer for that one - it's 18 minutes!"
I could not have made a greater impact if I had made sparks come from under my fingernails, and turned one of them into a frog! O tempora o mores.
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I was at Biggin in '91 and one of the questions asked during the group mental tasks bit was how long does it take to travel 150 miles at 90mph? There wasn't even any working out to do to me, the answer is obvious. I couldn't write it down quickly enough for fear of being the last with his bit of paper up in his hand. I was the first....by about a minute. Couldn't believe it.
A staff member at the local ATC sqn, has told me that he has seen an email, saying that the glider fleet will return to the air 'soon'.
Can anyone elaborate on this?
Can anyone elaborate on this?
Gentleman Aviator
One understands that there is a big Air Cadet Conference at Cranditz this week. I'm sure the latest (correct) buzz will come out of that......
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If gliding is to resume sooner, rather than later, they had better start pulling their fingers out to get the aircraft airworthy.
Yes, there is a conference at Cranwell this week.
Yes, there is a conference at Cranwell this week.