Air Cadets grounded?
ACTIVE KENLEY
Allowing a fence to divide the listed original peri track was a crass decision from 2FTS, and has ruined a fine loction plus will make resumed operations even more difficult.
Yet another C...U.. from the desk of the prev CO head of Air Cadet gliding at Syerston.
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No wind up Pobjoy I quite agree with you. I had fondly imagined that the fence, crap though it is, heralded the return to flying by 615 in 2019... some hope. If 2FTS are incapable of organising a return to flying then Surrey Hills should be granted clearance to fly at weekends and air-minded cadets pointed in their direction.
I spoke to a young female cadet a year or two back and asked if any flying was on the cards; she'd won a scholarship for a gliding course and was looking forward to taking it up.
I spoke to a young female cadet a year or two back and asked if any flying was on the cards; she'd won a scholarship for a gliding course and was looking forward to taking it up.
Tread's Your image is actually quite historic in a interesting way. Looking beyond the disgraceful fence and signs you will see the track that was the original Hayes Lane that was the western boundary of Kenley going back to WW1 (It was an acceptance park) built on Kenley common. Prior to WW2 when the airfield was extended, and provided with runways, a peri track and blast bays, Hayes Lane was a public route, and indeed we used to get locals still using it in the 60's which prompted a quick response from the winches to stop them getting a free 'LIFT' by our cables. To the left of image by about 40 yards is the location of the famous 'Spitfire in its blast pen image', taken by one of the attacking Dorniers on the 18th Aug 1940. Together with its near neighbours Biggin Hill (to the east) and the famous Croydon Airport to the north (all in 11 Group) Kenley (a sector station) played a crucial part in the summer of 1940, and then went on to house offensive Wings on sweeps over 'the other side'.
To be based there as a Cadet with 450 Sdn and later 615 GS was a amazing experience as the Camp was still in its wartime camo, and bore the scars of wartime attacks.
Due to its proximity to London, Kent, Surrey, and Sussex Air Cadet units it should have been one of the first VGS to get 'unpaused' but over 5 years later Treads tells us no sign of ATC Gliding !!! A great testimonial to those who head up ATC Gliding.
To be based there as a Cadet with 450 Sdn and later 615 GS was a amazing experience as the Camp was still in its wartime camo, and bore the scars of wartime attacks.
Due to its proximity to London, Kent, Surrey, and Sussex Air Cadet units it should have been one of the first VGS to get 'unpaused' but over 5 years later Treads tells us no sign of ATC Gliding !!! A great testimonial to those who head up ATC Gliding.
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I am an ex A2 Instructor, and lately BGA instructor. Having flown the Slinbsby MK 3 and Sedbergs and later the Vikings. I just have to make a small point that is subjective. It is simply that even in the last years of WW2 and the post war years the Air Cadet Gliding Movement was born. Posterity and government cuts more severe than now. It is so sad that individuals with no names have destroyed an organisation that is non political and only ever did good work for the individual Air Cadets and the wider community. RIP.
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Change at the Top
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Well, fingers crossed! Is it six years? Or seven...
Six. Longer than World War 2...
Six. Longer than World War 2...
I wish they would do the same with 613 at Halton; there is a huge 'gap' north west of London with no gliding schools where there used to be 4: 613 Halton, 612 Abingdon (previously Benson) and 616 Henlow all before the 'pause' plus 617 Bovingdon (ex Hendon) until 1970.
Having more VGS' is only half the story. An alarming number of the recently re-installed locations only fly on weekdays, which is useless floor the vast majority of cadets who can't get time off school, and their volunteer staff who can't get time off work.
Sure, it looks great on paper, but it's a noticeably poorer attraction.
Sure, it looks great on paper, but it's a noticeably poorer attraction.
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Having more VGS' is only half the story. An alarming number of the recently re-installed locations only fly on weekdays, which is useless floor the vast majority of cadets who can't get time off school, and their volunteer staff who can't get time off work.
Sure, it looks great on paper, but it's a noticeably poorer attraction.
Sure, it looks great on paper, but it's a noticeably poorer attraction.
When 5 AEF moved from Wyton to Wittering in March 2013 there was certainly a long pause in ATC (as opposed to CCF) cadets being able to access flying owing to the fact that Wittering's air traffic had been civilianised and were not contracted to work weekends. That is no longer the case and hasn't been for quite some considerable time.
615 VGS Rising again
Good news for Air Cadet gliding from Kenley. 615 has a new HQ and looking to be operational again in March.(6 years on). Fittingly 615 will be able to celebrate its return to actual flight as opposed to the PTT during the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, and maintains that link with 615 County of Surrey Squadron (Hurricanes) that had Kenley as its pre war home airfield.
Indeed a historic and welcome boost to the Air Cadets in the London and South East as Kenley can provide excellent access to a large number of Squadrons.
There will be operational challenges to deal with as the airfield has become more accessible to the public, and a fence now divides the peri track, but as in 1940 Kenley has survived not only the Luftwaffe but the difficulties of local development and 'own goals' from the MOD.
Treads will no doubt post some images when the Vikings appear on the airfield again.
Indeed a historic and welcome boost to the Air Cadets in the London and South East as Kenley can provide excellent access to a large number of Squadrons.
There will be operational challenges to deal with as the airfield has become more accessible to the public, and a fence now divides the peri track, but as in 1940 Kenley has survived not only the Luftwaffe but the difficulties of local development and 'own goals' from the MOD.
Treads will no doubt post some images when the Vikings appear on the airfield again.
Last edited by POBJOY; 12th Feb 2020 at 08:32. Reason: content
Gnome de PPRuNe
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I shall be delighted to be able to do so! 
Gnome de PPRuNe
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I've been asked to post this excellent painting of events at Kenley nearly 80 years ago - Kenley now hopefully rising again after its latest drama!
Excellent painting. An interesting detail is the use of the rocket launched 'parachute & cable' air defence system, shown just after launch on the northern perimeter. It plucked one of the Dorniers out of the sky, and another struck one of the cables but escaped serious damage. The system and its operation are described in detail in the excellent book 'The Hardest Day' by Alfred Price.
Everyone is resigned to the fact that motor gliding within the Air Cadets is dead, that sailplane gliding is a shadow of it's former self, and that the Air Cadets' Vikings are out of service in a year with no mention of any replacement anywhere.