Air Cadets grounded?
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WE992
I think is is intended to demonstrate the withdrawal of another VGS site.
The pause in VGS gliding has become so extended that some think that it will never come back.
The pause in VGS gliding has become so extended that some think that it will never come back.
Join Date: Jan 2003
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'Knee jerk' reaction at Wittering - there is no weekend flying there at the moment - could have had at least one or two more seasons there - 'knee jerk' seems to be flavour of the month nowadays..........
Arc
Arc
My apologies if my posting of the Wittering NOTAM caused confusion. I have a vague recollection of Wittering being mooted as a possible site for Cadet gliding, in the event of a scaled down organisation ? I also believe that the move from Watton to Honington didn't come to much and the new hangar there never happened ?
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Cheer up time
As its Christmas fast approaching, can't we compose a parody based on that Xmas favourite, I'll start it off as follows:-
On the first day of Christmas, my true Guv said to me, ...................come on chaps, must have some ideas for the other verses like........
4 Grobs a flying,
All suggestions welcome
On the first day of Christmas, my true Guv said to me, ...................come on chaps, must have some ideas for the other verses like........
4 Grobs a flying,
All suggestions welcome
My apologies if my posting of the Wittering NOTAM caused confusion. I have a vague recollection of Wittering being mooted as a possible site for Cadet gliding, in the event of a scaled down organisation ? I also believe that the move from Watton to Honington didn't come to much and the new hangar there never happened ?
Honington Hanger
I've been told that a new hangar was built at Honington. Sadly, the door wasn't wide enough and they had to take the wings off to get the aircraft in and out.....
This came from someone who had contacts within the ACO gliding fraternity and I pass it on for what it's worth. The same source told me that OC Marham was very keen to get ACO gliding back there. Again, I pass it on for information. If it's wrong hopefully someone with better sources that i will correct it.
This came from someone who had contacts within the ACO gliding fraternity and I pass it on for what it's worth. The same source told me that OC Marham was very keen to get ACO gliding back there. Again, I pass it on for information. If it's wrong hopefully someone with better sources that i will correct it.
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Gosh just how narrow were the doors? I've seen gliders come out of hangers where the door is far narrower than the wingspan with the aid of putting the main wheel on a trolley with swivel wheels, and someone on each 'corner'.
C5,you must stop such `original and lateral thinking` to sort out problems; surprised they didn`t think of having a fleet of `clipped-wing` gliders....or maybe they did...
No new hangar was built at Honington, the aircraft initially shared a HAS with the flying club but, of course, the HAS doors had not been maintained for years and didn't open fully, hence removing wings. They were then given their own HAS and there was talk of funding being available to repair the doors, that soon became a moot point of course.
No News
Paul The news consisted of a report on how good the Xmas party at HQ Air Cadets was; very motivating it was too direct from AOC UK Air Cadets.
News from Syerston was that they are looking for locations to put Vikings and Vig's on poles outside former VGS locations.
Oh and JM has been bought an 'isopon' kit for Christmas with extra P38 for the difficult cover up bits.
Just waiting for the Haynes 'Viking rebuild manual' which is in heavy demand and likely to outsell the Lancaster one.
News from Syerston was that they are looking for locations to put Vikings and Vig's on poles outside former VGS locations.
Oh and JM has been bought an 'isopon' kit for Christmas with extra P38 for the difficult cover up bits.
Just waiting for the Haynes 'Viking rebuild manual' which is in heavy demand and likely to outsell the Lancaster one.
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Paul M
I believe there was a plan to retrofit the Vigilant with a 'more' glass cockpit. I assume this will now be dropped if the aircraft is retired.
As for retrofitting the Viking I think it will be neither sensible nor technically practical. However that does not mean they (Contractors and Project Sponsor) won't waste large amounts of cash and man-hours doing it (trying) before admitting it's not worth pursuing.
In a world of shrinking defence budgets the Defence companies are even looking to wring a few £ out of areas where previously there was not really any budget or interest in doing it. I expect that the glass retrofit feasibility study would have a budget of a least £75K to start..................... not a lot of cash in defence terms but hey...............
Arc
I believe there was a plan to retrofit the Vigilant with a 'more' glass cockpit. I assume this will now be dropped if the aircraft is retired.
As for retrofitting the Viking I think it will be neither sensible nor technically practical. However that does not mean they (Contractors and Project Sponsor) won't waste large amounts of cash and man-hours doing it (trying) before admitting it's not worth pursuing.
In a world of shrinking defence budgets the Defence companies are even looking to wring a few £ out of areas where previously there was not really any budget or interest in doing it. I expect that the glass retrofit feasibility study would have a budget of a least £75K to start..................... not a lot of cash in defence terms but hey...............
Arc
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One small grain of good news is that MOD has successfully written cadets into the Defence measurable output for the first time. All credit to those in Cadets branch who have achieved this. So, things which hurt cadet numbers or 'the cadet experience' will be accountable for - closure of estates, for example. Or reduction in gliding availability... None of this used to be counted or a formal part of Defence tasking.
