Air Cadets grounded?
'Other' opportunities to fly
Just in case there are any senior officers reading this thread, and they are thinking to themselves, "Don't know what all the fuss is about. There are plenty of other opportunities to fly besides the gliders." Here is a run down of my son's opportunities to fly, in the 2 years exactly, that he has been in.
Nov '14 - Grob Tutor (20mins)
Apr '15 - Chinook ride during green camp (cancelled - Aircraft u/s)
Aug '15 - Grob Tutor @ Benson (cancelled - weather)
Merlin ride @ Benson (cancelled - Aircraft u/s)
Oct '15 - Vigilant @ Syerston (cancelled - weather)
2 years in the cadets, one 20 minute spin in a tutor.
Nov '14 - Grob Tutor (20mins)
Apr '15 - Chinook ride during green camp (cancelled - Aircraft u/s)
Aug '15 - Grob Tutor @ Benson (cancelled - weather)
Merlin ride @ Benson (cancelled - Aircraft u/s)
Oct '15 - Vigilant @ Syerston (cancelled - weather)
2 years in the cadets, one 20 minute spin in a tutor.
I think that the technical side of the Viking recovery is now well underway,
Good to see a little flying is taking place, but nothing comparable to the many hours I logged during my ATC membership 1955-60 (not to mention my gliding B Cert).
The Irvin-GQ back 'chutes look a lot easier to walk in than Chippy seatpacks.
The Irvin-GQ back 'chutes look a lot easier to walk in than Chippy seatpacks.
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Here's a touch of nostalgia then ... 
1 AEF RAF Manston late 60's
That's No flying gloves, helmet or suit for the cadets in those days ... Note the 'wire frame' headset which had a 'dangling' mic.
PS. That's the old Blue 4 Point seat harness you can see ...
1 AEF RAF Manston late 60's
That's No flying gloves, helmet or suit for the cadets in those days ... Note the 'wire frame' headset which had a 'dangling' mic.
PS. That's the old Blue 4 Point seat harness you can see ...
The 'dangling' microphone meant that at least one of the little buggers' hands would be occupied, so less chance of a 'wonder what this does' switch operation - such as magnetos or muting.
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Spot on BEagle
Or you held the back of the mic against the Perspex, with the switch on, and allowed the ensuing vibration to emulate 8 Browning Machine Guns ... So I'm told
Or you held the back of the mic against the Perspex, with the switch on, and allowed the ensuing vibration to emulate 8 Browning Machine Guns ... So I'm told
Likewise, this would be the best we should expect for now until some SF25s with fixed pitch props and Rotax non-turbo 912s can be procured. That would be the 'gold plated' solution for the future...
IMHO of course!
LJ
IMHO of course!
LJ
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Well, something positive must be happening. Just had notice to withdraw any sqn held Vigilant pax brief due to legacy aircraft abandonment procedures. Clearly they're re-writing.
Concurrently, a thoroughly motivating and comprehensive three paragraphs from Gliding Central.
Concurrently, a thoroughly motivating and comprehensive three paragraphs from Gliding Central.
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Buckley Boy
That suggests basing on the ownership of the land/sites rather than geography/catchment.
New organisation being proposed:
Viking VGS
Halton - MoD owned - good central location and facilities
Kenley - Long term tenants (not MoD owned) - good central location
Kirknewton - MoD owned - the only Scottish location - really ??
Merry field - MoD owned - assume for Hullavington squadrons when it closes
Predannack - MoD owned - OK for Cornwall and extreme SW locations
Syerston - MoD owned - good central ocation and facilities (obvious)
Ternhill - MoD owned - OK central location for NW and Midlands
Upavon - MoD owned - OK for central South and good facilities
Wethersfield - MoD owned - good central ocation and OK for East Anlia (just)
Regional Centre - Viking & Vigilant
Little Rissington - MoD owned - Why ?? (except some new hangarage being built) weather here can be pants and local politics bad
Topcliffe - MoD owned - OK location for the North & NE and good facilities potentially. Airspace will go quieter when LoO closes
So it is the death knell for VGS at:
Henlow (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Odiham (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Lossie (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Honington (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Cosford (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Chivenor (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Saint Athan (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Woodvale (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Newtownards
Swansea
Arbroath RM Condor (MoD Owned - good facilities)
My opinion is that it's not the best basing strategy but equally not the worst. It leaves some of Extreme South East UK, Scotland, NI and Wales underprivileged IMHO
But it is a future. Any news on what the manning policy will be ??
Arc
(If all this is true of course)
That suggests basing on the ownership of the land/sites rather than geography/catchment.
New organisation being proposed:
Viking VGS
Halton - MoD owned - good central location and facilities
Kenley - Long term tenants (not MoD owned) - good central location
Kirknewton - MoD owned - the only Scottish location - really ??
Merry field - MoD owned - assume for Hullavington squadrons when it closes
Predannack - MoD owned - OK for Cornwall and extreme SW locations
Syerston - MoD owned - good central ocation and facilities (obvious)
Ternhill - MoD owned - OK central location for NW and Midlands
Upavon - MoD owned - OK for central South and good facilities
Wethersfield - MoD owned - good central ocation and OK for East Anlia (just)
Regional Centre - Viking & Vigilant
Little Rissington - MoD owned - Why ?? (except some new hangarage being built) weather here can be pants and local politics bad
Topcliffe - MoD owned - OK location for the North & NE and good facilities potentially. Airspace will go quieter when LoO closes
So it is the death knell for VGS at:
Henlow (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Odiham (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Lossie (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Honington (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Cosford (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Chivenor (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Saint Athan (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Woodvale (MoD Owned - good facilities)
Newtownards
Swansea
Arbroath RM Condor (MoD Owned - good facilities)
My opinion is that it's not the best basing strategy but equally not the worst. It leaves some of Extreme South East UK, Scotland, NI and Wales underprivileged IMHO
But it is a future. Any news on what the manning policy will be ??
Arc
(If all this is true of course)
Last edited by Arclite01; 8th Dec 2015 at 08:55. Reason: If..............
So good bye Air Cadets in Northern Ireland then 
,what is the point of existing if there is no flying available.
Little Englandshire based thinking as usual
,what is the point of existing if there is no flying available. Little Englandshire based thinking as usual
There is an independent group near here along the lines of Army Cadets, so it can be done.
Gliding coming back??
Come on BBK, this is a rumour network, you cannot mix rumours with the truth.
After all, the rumour about gliders coming back has been around for ages. What has the team been up to since then, apart from working 24/7?
After all, the rumour about gliders coming back has been around for ages. What has the team been up to since then, apart from working 24/7?
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How can you only have 2 regional centres when there are 6 Regions in the Corps? At least the much maligned Regional Activity Centres were actually somewhere near the region they served.
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VGS Future basing policy & HR
Notwithstanding all of the previous, mainly centred upon aircraft, perhaps another revolutionary idea may be to consider where the customers are ? ( Customers ? what are they Blackadder ? can't we do without them ?)
Another fairly basic concept for OC 2FTS to think about is location of expertise - particularly if we have most, if not all Vigilant ops erased. And, for the elimination of doubt, to run a 4/5 ship Viking VGS requires a heck of a lot of staff on every operational day, and it's not a fast track operation to germinate and grow that talent, if the safety card is foremost. In order to give staff some days off, then you need a large roster of qualified expert staff.
Furthermore, with larger catchment areas, what time of day will they expect the Cadets to set off for the remote VGS ? - and what time can ops commence ? And cost of travel at public expense ?
Until we see the airfield review/basing, we will not know for certain but it certainly does appear that 2016 will mark the end of many highly productive VGS locations.
Another issue to be examined is the level of staffing required to run a Viking operation at the levels required to service a much larger catchment area.
How many staff will remain, and how will those VGS staff remaining feel after the whole organisation has been absolutely "rogered" where many staff will just be left to walk away without so much as a thank you from doing the unpaid job that they absolutely loved to do, seeing the fruits of their toil develop into RAF Pilots of the future.
Many may well feel wary about how they are to be treated in the future after the fairly awful way they have been treated during the last 19 months.
Aircraft and Airfields are vital, but then of no use if they have not got the vital instructional and support staff required.
Another fairly basic concept for OC 2FTS to think about is location of expertise - particularly if we have most, if not all Vigilant ops erased. And, for the elimination of doubt, to run a 4/5 ship Viking VGS requires a heck of a lot of staff on every operational day, and it's not a fast track operation to germinate and grow that talent, if the safety card is foremost. In order to give staff some days off, then you need a large roster of qualified expert staff.
Furthermore, with larger catchment areas, what time of day will they expect the Cadets to set off for the remote VGS ? - and what time can ops commence ? And cost of travel at public expense ?
Until we see the airfield review/basing, we will not know for certain but it certainly does appear that 2016 will mark the end of many highly productive VGS locations.
Another issue to be examined is the level of staffing required to run a Viking operation at the levels required to service a much larger catchment area.
How many staff will remain, and how will those VGS staff remaining feel after the whole organisation has been absolutely "rogered" where many staff will just be left to walk away without so much as a thank you from doing the unpaid job that they absolutely loved to do, seeing the fruits of their toil develop into RAF Pilots of the future.
Many may well feel wary about how they are to be treated in the future after the fairly awful way they have been treated during the last 19 months.
Aircraft and Airfields are vital, but then of no use if they have not got the vital instructional and support staff required.
On the AEF front I think there is a plan to expand AEFs with the extra Tutors coming on line with MFTS not needing them. So I suspect we might see some new AEFs coming up in the gaps (including NI).
That's the rumour I've heard anyway. Good news for Cadets if they can find the pilots (unless they relax the requirements to Servicemen with PPLs).
LJ
That's the rumour I've heard anyway. Good news for Cadets if they can find the pilots (unless they relax the requirements to Servicemen with PPLs).
LJ
Arc
Not really a conspiracy theory Arc (I do not really 'do' conspiracy theories),My initial reaction to the grounding was to think ''what is the real aim of this 'pause' ?''
I think the real reasons/agendas have become clear - after all - if you wish to make wholesale cuts to the VGS 'organisation' then just ground the lot and then keep the volunteers out of the loop for at least 18 months whilst redesigning the ACO gliding future whilst also planning to close some expensive airfields.
As some of us said at the time - were all the VGS gliders unairworthy ? - no chance !But most will be now due to lack of maintenance since the 'pause'.
Putting an abrasive character in charge who hates 'amateurs' was a master stroke by the hierarchy - his character would have been very well known to them.
All very sad !
@Longer Ron - I am loving your conspiracy theories - and would not be at all surprised if they didn't have at least SOME basis in fact............
I think the real reasons/agendas have become clear - after all - if you wish to make wholesale cuts to the VGS 'organisation' then just ground the lot and then keep the volunteers out of the loop for at least 18 months whilst redesigning the ACO gliding future whilst also planning to close some expensive airfields.
As some of us said at the time - were all the VGS gliders unairworthy ? - no chance !But most will be now due to lack of maintenance since the 'pause'.
Putting an abrasive character in charge who hates 'amateurs' was a master stroke by the hierarchy - his character would have been very well known to them.
All very sad !