Air Cadets grounded?
It' not the VGS you need to worry about it's the ATC in general
My grandsons squadron is in danger of closure because of a lack of adult staff, a problem common throughout the corps and indeed nearly all other youth movements. As a correspondent for local newspaper I lost track of the times I reported on the closure of scout and guide troops for the same reason. Great to have some muted form of GVS activity but they may well find themselves whistling dixie the supply of cadet blood drains away. Cadet recruitment isn't an issue grandson has seen his unit double in size. Covid of course has strangled nearly all activity. He was lucky to have his first glider AEF a week before shutdown
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'New' Vigilant
A very interesting picture of the revised Vigilant.
It is interesting to note that it is in the very configuration (Glass cockpit and Rotax engine) that we had put forward just before the grounding (I refuse to call it 'pause'!).
At that time funds had already been allocated for re-engineing and an effort was being made for the instruments to be upgraded for the Vigilant MkII.
As for the accommodation issue, all the remaining VGS sites are having/had accommodation built on-site. Little Rissington had a new block built a few years ago (on the site of the Control Tower, which is where I stayed when on the unit). This was for 637 VGS and now that 621 VGS has not been able to move to an airfield in its traditional area, it is having its own buildings.
It is interesting to note that it is in the very configuration (Glass cockpit and Rotax engine) that we had put forward just before the grounding (I refuse to call it 'pause'!).
At that time funds had already been allocated for re-engineing and an effort was being made for the instruments to be upgraded for the Vigilant MkII.
As for the accommodation issue, all the remaining VGS sites are having/had accommodation built on-site. Little Rissington had a new block built a few years ago (on the site of the Control Tower, which is where I stayed when on the unit). This was for 637 VGS and now that 621 VGS has not been able to move to an airfield in its traditional area, it is having its own buildings.
Shafted from within
Amazing that the Air Cadet gliding operation has been thoroughly shafted by its own internal mismanagement, and effectively had its machines given to another organisation (plus a 750,000 golden hello), who are able to sell most of these machines to fund their own operation. Hardly a model of prudent public spending or the tech ability of the Air Cadets 'parent organisation', not to mention the appalling ongoing spend on equipment, and underutilised infrastructure. CV19 aside the organisation has been dealt a very poor deal by the very people who should have been leading it. Of course that was the problem NO ONE WAS LEADING IT who knew anything about what was needed, or even worse what they were loosing. Once they abandoned their USP of simple hands on flying the plot was lost, and all the twatter, facelessbook, celebs,and glossy brochures counted for nothing. It is a great shame that the organisation was not being led or organised by the same volunteer calibre that had its hands on gliding operation as a World Class flying training organisation available to thousands.
Something else that has struck me as odd is the choice of this aircraft for a charity that specialises in flying the disabled. The G109 is not actually that easy to get in and out of, particularly when compared to a high-wing aircraft with a tricycle undercarriage and car-type doors, like a Cessna or Tecnam. Anyone else got an opinion?
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I would agree that access is not that easy into Grob 109's for the less than able bodied. My concern is not about getting in, but getting out in an emergency (engine fire on the ground say ?)
Lets face it. They got the aircraft for free and refurbished them at Taxpayers expense (via a grant) through a dirty deal done in a smoke filled back room.
Disenfranchising 60,000 Air Cadets in 1 fell swoop while making themselves a nice little profit and getting themselves some free flying.
They'd have taken Be2c's on that basis..............
Arc
Lets face it. They got the aircraft for free and refurbished them at Taxpayers expense (via a grant) through a dirty deal done in a smoke filled back room.
Disenfranchising 60,000 Air Cadets in 1 fell swoop while making themselves a nice little profit and getting themselves some free flying.
They'd have taken Be2c's on that basis..............
Arc
Amazing that the Air Cadet gliding operation has been thoroughly shafted by its own internal mismanagement, and effectively had its machines given to another organisation (plus a 750,000 golden hello), who are able to sell most of these machines to fund their own operation. Hardly a model of prudent public spending or the tech ability of the Air Cadets 'parent organisation', not to mention the appalling ongoing spend on equipment, and underutilised infrastructure. CV19 aside the organisation has been dealt a very poor deal by the very people who should have been leading it. Of course that was the problem NO ONE WAS LEADING IT who knew anything about what was needed, or even worse what they were loosing. Once they abandoned their USP of simple hands on flying the plot was lost, and all the twatter, facelessbook, celebs,and glossy brochures counted for nothing. It is a great shame that the organisation was not being led or organised by the same volunteer calibre that had its hands on gliding operation as a World Class flying training organisation available to thousands.
The ACO has been closed for business since March, with little if any sign of re-starting. Bearing in mind that the average cadet spends between one and five years in the Corps,
how many will come back when they do eventually re-open?
Is the sale of the Grob's just the start of the whole shooting match being closed to pay for Covid? A tragedy if this is the end for what was once the finest youth organisation
in the country.
how many will come back when they do eventually re-open?
Is the sale of the Grob's just the start of the whole shooting match being closed to pay for Covid? A tragedy if this is the end for what was once the finest youth organisation
in the country.
Somebody posted the following shocking stats on another site. It gives the percentage of air cadets who have completed the different stages of gliding progression in the last 2 years.
Using the 1 April 2020 cadet statistics 3 (41720 RAFAC Cadets), for 18/19:
FAM, (ground school only): 14.1%
Blue Wings, (first flight): 4.6%
Bronze Wings, (3 flights): 0.73%
Silver Wings, (solo): 0.23%
Gold Wings Part 1: 0.029%
Gold Wings Part 1&2: 0.0024%
VGS Staff Cadet G2: 0.026%
VGS Staff Cadet G1: 0.011%
Only 1 cadet out of 41,720 has reached the pinnacle of air cadet gliding by getting parts 1 & 2 of their gold wings!
Using the 1 April 2020 cadet statistics 3 (41720 RAFAC Cadets), for 18/19:
FAM, (ground school only): 14.1%
Blue Wings, (first flight): 4.6%
Bronze Wings, (3 flights): 0.73%
Silver Wings, (solo): 0.23%
Gold Wings Part 1: 0.029%
Gold Wings Part 1&2: 0.0024%
VGS Staff Cadet G2: 0.026%
VGS Staff Cadet G1: 0.011%
Only 1 cadet out of 41,720 has reached the pinnacle of air cadet gliding by getting parts 1 & 2 of their gold wings!
bobward,
"....being closed to pay for Covid?"
WoW! Wasn't aware that the ACO had a mega trillion pound budget.
Get real.
"....being closed to pay for Covid?"
WoW! Wasn't aware that the ACO had a mega trillion pound budget.
Get real.
Wheels within wheels !!!!
Something else that has struck me as odd is the choice of this aircraft for a charity that specialises in flying the disabled. The G109 is not actually that easy to get in and out of, particularly when compared to a high-wing aircraft with a tricycle undercarriage and car-type doors, like a Cessna or Tecnam. Anyone else got an opinion?
Pr00ne,
I think you missed my point. As a former VRT officer and squadron commander ,I'm well aware of what the Corps budget used to be. With all the services likely to be hammered to pay for Covid (as per earlier posts elsewhere), I'm just worried that MoD might see a quick win, unlikely to stir much ire within the ranks of PPruners.
"Every little helps.."
I think you missed my point. As a former VRT officer and squadron commander ,I'm well aware of what the Corps budget used to be. With all the services likely to be hammered to pay for Covid (as per earlier posts elsewhere), I'm just worried that MoD might see a quick win, unlikely to stir much ire within the ranks of PPruners.
"Every little helps.."
Value for money 'your joking'
Pr00ne,
I think you missed my point. As a former VRT officer and squadron commander ,I'm well aware of what the Corps budget used to be. With all the services likely to be hammered to pay for Covid (as per earlier posts elsewhere), I'm just worried that MoD might see a quick win, unlikely to stir much ire within the ranks of PPruners.
"Every little helps.."
I think you missed my point. As a former VRT officer and squadron commander ,I'm well aware of what the Corps budget used to be. With all the services likely to be hammered to pay for Covid (as per earlier posts elsewhere), I'm just worried that MoD might see a quick win, unlikely to stir much ire within the ranks of PPruners.
"Every little helps.."
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Recent article
A friend had just sent me a copy of an article. Think it’s in Private Eye. Looks to me like a pretty accurate description of the fiasco regarding the Vigilants.
Really good to see the Eye is still tracking this scandal (think it covered it a few years back), which PPRuNe flagged up many years ago and I wrote about for Pilot magazine in 2015. I have to agree with the previous posts re ingress and egress too. I flew a G109A recently, and that wasn't the easiest machine to get in and out of, and its still a lot better than a B. I can think of lots of aircraft that would've been better than a 109 for Aerobility - for example the Tecnam specially adapted with hand controls that I tested at the factory several years ago........
Gentleman Aviator
The Eye story is not available online (I subscribe) but seems to cover the main points.
What IS online is the "teaser" for the article, which I do reproduce:
It's the issue which is just out this week; has the picture of Cummings leaving No 10 on front cover.
What IS online is the "teaser" for the article, which I do reproduce:
BUNGS & BARGAINS
RAF aircraft grounded after it lost track of maintenance paperwork have been sold to a charity for a song – along with a £745,000 bung of taxpayers’ money.
RAF aircraft grounded after it lost track of maintenance paperwork have been sold to a charity for a song – along with a £745,000 bung of taxpayers’ money.
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Chevvron yes the MOD could buy them back but what makes you think "lessons have been learned"? For decades the RAF safely and efficiently ran air cadet flying and then things changed for the worse. I look at the thread on MFTS above and just cringe for a service which a long time ago taught me to fly to very high standards. I suspect nothing has been learned in senior circles other than shifting the blame while getting promoted.
We flew weekdays only so as not to 'clash' with 613 VGS which was using Vigilants although we were permitted to fly from the parallel glider runways if we did want to operate at the same time; no problem with a microlight of course and eventually with HQAC funding, some 19 Air Cadet Microlight/PPL badges were awarded but unfortunately when this project ended so did the microlight operation due lack of funds.
It was of course, never intended that microlights should replace gliders, they were only initially intended to provide extra AEF, so when HQAC funded the Microlight Flying Scholarships using Chevvrons(!) in late '96, it was a bonus.
Last edited by chevvron; 23rd Nov 2020 at 10:54.