Air Cadets grounded?
I hope 621 do get successfully rehoused.
Unfortunately I fear it may not be the only VGS to lose its home before they get back in the air. Would only have been half surprised to see Syerston on the list with them not bothering to rehouse CGS.
Unfortunately I fear it may not be the only VGS to lose its home before they get back in the air. Would only have been half surprised to see Syerston on the list with them not bothering to rehouse CGS.
OC 621 was made aware of the plans to dispose of "H" prior to it becoming public. However there are plans for 621 to relocate to another MOD owned airfield but unfortunately it is currently inappropriate to name that airfield at the present time.
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WE992
I am sure that Dave was only too aware of the situation at 'H'
The other MoD airfields - That can really only be Keevil or Merryfield.
Arc
**Sad to see yet more of the 'crown jewels' being sold off/given away for nothing. I was going to have my ashes scatted at 'H'. Not now though - I don't want to spend eternity on some 'ticky-tacky' 21st Century housing estate..............**
I am sure that Dave was only too aware of the situation at 'H'
The other MoD airfields - That can really only be Keevil or Merryfield.
Arc
**Sad to see yet more of the 'crown jewels' being sold off/given away for nothing. I was going to have my ashes scatted at 'H'. Not now though - I don't want to spend eternity on some 'ticky-tacky' 21st Century housing estate..............**
Ashes Scattering
WE992
Ashes will now be 'cascaded' which means they can be 'shared around' to suit
One of my spots will be a 'common' in Surrey in 11 Group,then Redhill for an 'armsworth'. On the understanding not from a spam can.
Ashes will now be 'cascaded' which means they can be 'shared around' to suit
One of my spots will be a 'common' in Surrey in 11 Group,then Redhill for an 'armsworth'. On the understanding not from a spam can.
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My late wife asked for her ashes to be scattered from an aircraft flying over the EASA HQ with specific instructions that the ashes would not be removed from the urn.
Sorry for the thread creep but her opinion of what EASA was doing to her hobby was not good.
Sorry for the thread creep but her opinion of what EASA was doing to her hobby was not good.
Aim for the moon......
Just a "Feel Good" picture before the bad news hits us...
When I was an ATC cadet I was told to aim for the moon and the world will be yours! Not quite achieved the "world" yet but my interest in aviation has lasted the 56 years since I first became a glider pilot with the Air Cadets.
I spent the day at Lasham yesterday and have pleasure in posting this picture of one of their K13s aiming for the moon on launch.
I am sorry that it is not a picture of an Air Cadet Glider, not many people (especially cadets) have seen one of those for a long time.
To those of you still wanting to be involved with the future of Air Cadet gliding, I take my hat off to you. You have been treated badly by the present management. I hope the outcome of this debacle is good for you.
Freda
When I was an ATC cadet I was told to aim for the moon and the world will be yours! Not quite achieved the "world" yet but my interest in aviation has lasted the 56 years since I first became a glider pilot with the Air Cadets.
I spent the day at Lasham yesterday and have pleasure in posting this picture of one of their K13s aiming for the moon on launch.
I am sorry that it is not a picture of an Air Cadet Glider, not many people (especially cadets) have seen one of those for a long time.
To those of you still wanting to be involved with the future of Air Cadet gliding, I take my hat off to you. You have been treated badly by the present management. I hope the outcome of this debacle is good for you.
Freda
Last edited by Freda Checks; 21st Jan 2016 at 11:34. Reason: Speeling!
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FREDA
The Viking recovery program is now in full swing with a long time glider maintenance company working with Babcock.
As with these things the production rate will increase with experience but I would hope to see the VGS starting to get instructors back on line soon.
As with these things the production rate will increase with experience but I would hope to see the VGS starting to get instructors back on line soon.
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There is hope
FREDA
Not sure if I came across you yesterday but certainly a great photo; I was the young chap flying the big club Duo Discus at Lasham yesterday afternoon, I used to be a cadet in the ATC and for me it was a big boost in many ways, especially the camps and when we did have gliding, I second your good wishes to those still involved with the VGSs for the speedy recovery but offer that all cadets in the ACO should be aware that there are opportunities for cadets in their own time to glide even during this pause at their local gliding clubs! Many civilian clubs are 'Junior Gliding Centers' and offer flying for reduced rates and even sometimes free for just helping out.
I left the ATC just after the pause to focus on civilian gliding and work, the support given in the civilian side is to no end from presolo at 15 to now being helped through my BGA FI Rating (B1 Cat equivalent) at 18 to become a professional instructor for the upcoming season.
I'm not alone in this, there at Lasham and across the country there are hundreds of young people who have gone through the system and have learnt to fly gliders, sure there may be some expense but the costs are minimal compared to the benefits. It's just a shame more WGLOs and Squadrons have not informed cadets about this as I'm sure there would be people who would jump at the chance if only they knew!
Planesandthings
Not sure if I came across you yesterday but certainly a great photo; I was the young chap flying the big club Duo Discus at Lasham yesterday afternoon, I used to be a cadet in the ATC and for me it was a big boost in many ways, especially the camps and when we did have gliding, I second your good wishes to those still involved with the VGSs for the speedy recovery but offer that all cadets in the ACO should be aware that there are opportunities for cadets in their own time to glide even during this pause at their local gliding clubs! Many civilian clubs are 'Junior Gliding Centers' and offer flying for reduced rates and even sometimes free for just helping out.
I left the ATC just after the pause to focus on civilian gliding and work, the support given in the civilian side is to no end from presolo at 15 to now being helped through my BGA FI Rating (B1 Cat equivalent) at 18 to become a professional instructor for the upcoming season.
I'm not alone in this, there at Lasham and across the country there are hundreds of young people who have gone through the system and have learnt to fly gliders, sure there may be some expense but the costs are minimal compared to the benefits. It's just a shame more WGLOs and Squadrons have not informed cadets about this as I'm sure there would be people who would jump at the chance if only they knew!
Planesandthings
Glider recovery!
.......and this has been announced where, or is it just wishful thinking on the part of 2FTS?
Last edited by Frelon; 21st Jan 2016 at 15:48.
It was suggested to me at the weekend that my local VGS has lost somewhere in the region of 66% of it's staff during the "pause", so if they ever get their aircraft back, they've got a hell of a mountain to climb a) to get the remaining staff current and b) recruit new staff to make it viable...
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Frelon
The MoD put their name on the dotted line a week or two before Christmas but news seems to have got lost in the long holiday break, there was a prilimanary contract for work on a few gliders issued a few months before.
This first contract was a bit slow in terms of glider recovery largely because the scale of the problems had not been fully understood until the inspection of the airframe and the paperwork ( or lack of !) issues had been fully addressed.
There is a lot of inspection work to be done as due to the lack of records and the poor quality of some of the work done in the past so these aircraft have to undergo a very deep inspection and rectification of any defects found.
The delivery of recovered aircraft has started and will gather pace for some time until the aircraft with serious issues that have been pushed to the back of the line are reached. There are also some aircraft that the current contractor considered BER, these are also going to be looked at when all the others have been recovered so it is more that posable that there will be more aircraft returned to service than had been flying at the start of the pause.
The technical recovery is NOT wishful thinking on the part of 2FTS, it is fact, how they sort out the re-staffing of the VGS is not in my baillywick.
This first contract was a bit slow in terms of glider recovery largely because the scale of the problems had not been fully understood until the inspection of the airframe and the paperwork ( or lack of !) issues had been fully addressed.
There is a lot of inspection work to be done as due to the lack of records and the poor quality of some of the work done in the past so these aircraft have to undergo a very deep inspection and rectification of any defects found.
The delivery of recovered aircraft has started and will gather pace for some time until the aircraft with serious issues that have been pushed to the back of the line are reached. There are also some aircraft that the current contractor considered BER, these are also going to be looked at when all the others have been recovered so it is more that posable that there will be more aircraft returned to service than had been flying at the start of the pause.
The technical recovery is NOT wishful thinking on the part of 2FTS, it is fact, how they sort out the re-staffing of the VGS is not in my baillywick.
Last edited by A and C; 22nd Jan 2016 at 05:54.
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Freda, great photo of the Lasham K13 glider heading for the moon! and thanks
to planesandthings for going into more detail about opportunities for young people to fly at civilian gliding clubs...at Shenington Gliding Club we also have youngsters making rapid progress in flying. A very good thing in my opinion (as a retired instructor but still flying) that the new rules permit solo flying at the age of 14, certainly the kids who have made the grade are responsible and helpful on the airfield. Possibly because there are not too many of them, and so are participating as individuals, rather than regimented....
to planesandthings for going into more detail about opportunities for young people to fly at civilian gliding clubs...at Shenington Gliding Club we also have youngsters making rapid progress in flying. A very good thing in my opinion (as a retired instructor but still flying) that the new rules permit solo flying at the age of 14, certainly the kids who have made the grade are responsible and helpful on the airfield. Possibly because there are not too many of them, and so are participating as individuals, rather than regimented....
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Final decision is now at the ministerial level.
Personally, I've made the decision to get on with the rest of my life. Best of luck to everyone who chooses to remain working for free trying to keep this clown car on the road, but I've had a gut's full.
Personally, I've made the decision to get on with the rest of my life. Best of luck to everyone who chooses to remain working for free trying to keep this clown car on the road, but I've had a gut's full.
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Yes - 'Ministerial Level enquiry' usually means yet another nose poking session by an unqualified, bird brain with no subject matter knowledge...............
With the inherent added delays of course....................
Before they either:
a. Do what their minions (staff experts) tell them what they should have done ages before............
b. Decide that they know best and go around around the whole process again before arriving back where they started (months previously) but have tried to take any credit ensuing or distance themselves from any disaster associated with the item (Teflon is 'de rigueur' for politicians)
c. Place the contract with either one of their mates companies, or in their constituency...........
Arc
With the inherent added delays of course....................
Before they either:
a. Do what their minions (staff experts) tell them what they should have done ages before............
b. Decide that they know best and go around around the whole process again before arriving back where they started (months previously) but have tried to take any credit ensuing or distance themselves from any disaster associated with the item (Teflon is 'de rigueur' for politicians)
c. Place the contract with either one of their mates companies, or in their constituency...........
Arc
Last edited by Arclite01; 25th Jan 2016 at 10:28. Reason: before they.............
Arclite01,
..... "That can really only be Keevil or Merryfield."
How about Colerne? Much closer. A little bit of Lyneham maybe?
..... "That can really only be Keevil or Merryfield."
How about Colerne? Much closer. A little bit of Lyneham maybe?
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Proone
Colerne has UAS & AEF power traffic. Not a good mix with the Winch Launch Operation of 621. If it was Vigilant then just maybe..............
Lyneham is a non starter nowadays due to development, solar farms and other users.
For me it's Keevil I think as a co-lo with the GSA - although ACCGS has been trying to get onto Merryfield for years - originally as the preferred location when Weston-Super-Mare closed but I seem to remember the RN resisting due to the amount and type of traffic at Merryfield (Commando and Air Assault as well as training). That may have changed...............
Arc
Colerne has UAS & AEF power traffic. Not a good mix with the Winch Launch Operation of 621. If it was Vigilant then just maybe..............
Lyneham is a non starter nowadays due to development, solar farms and other users.
For me it's Keevil I think as a co-lo with the GSA - although ACCGS has been trying to get onto Merryfield for years - originally as the preferred location when Weston-Super-Mare closed but I seem to remember the RN resisting due to the amount and type of traffic at Merryfield (Commando and Air Assault as well as training). That may have changed...............
Arc
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Arc
The GSA fly off the tarmac runways at Keevil due to the grass being un-useable because of the damage caused by air dropped loads and the vehicles being used to recover them. Further more the grass areas are rented to the local farmer who grows it as high as possible for winter feed for his cattle.
In light of the current fiasco I would be very surprised if the ATC are allowed to fly alongside any other organisation when they get going again as it seems to be getting so risk averse!
The GSA fly off the tarmac runways at Keevil due to the grass being un-useable because of the damage caused by air dropped loads and the vehicles being used to recover them. Further more the grass areas are rented to the local farmer who grows it as high as possible for winter feed for his cattle.
In light of the current fiasco I would be very surprised if the ATC are allowed to fly alongside any other organisation when they get going again as it seems to be getting so risk averse!