Air Cadets grounded?
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Wander old chap ...
Nothing wrong with a person, who has a direct interest, asking a polite but direct question ... Neither is it wrong for many people to ask a similar polite/direct question.
If you're not 'interested' in receiving direct feedback ... Don't put yourself on Twitter ... Simples !
Nothing wrong with a person, who has a direct interest, asking a polite but direct question ... Neither is it wrong for many people to ask a similar polite/direct question.
If you're not 'interested' in receiving direct feedback ... Don't put yourself on Twitter ... Simples !
Direct Question to Cmdt2FTS
Well he is paid by the public purse therefore should be 'available' to answer questions relating to his 'WORK'.
He is hardly in charge of National security and his 'boss's rely on his 'opinion' so fair game for some direct prodding. An MP asking would be excellent.
He is hardly in charge of National security and his 'boss's rely on his 'opinion' so fair game for some direct prodding. An MP asking would be excellent.
Pobjoy et al
I believe that the RAF Halton Trenchard Museum has a Cadet Mk3 and a Slingsby Primary glider. The airfield has 2x Sedburghs (1x Silver and 1x Rasperry Ripple) plus a Tost Winch on a Bedford 3 Tonner. No need for a clandestine operation - the equipment is already there!!!
Don't forget that Halton is the current 'Home for Sport' for RAF gliding and that the first UK Soaring glider pilot in 1930 was an instructor at Halton (ex RFC aircrew in WWI). They even have a RAFGSA owned Grob 109b (an unmolested Vigilant!) that flies most weekends to the civilian airworthiness standard.
Best
LJ
I believe that the RAF Halton Trenchard Museum has a Cadet Mk3 and a Slingsby Primary glider. The airfield has 2x Sedburghs (1x Silver and 1x Rasperry Ripple) plus a Tost Winch on a Bedford 3 Tonner. No need for a clandestine operation - the equipment is already there!!!
Don't forget that Halton is the current 'Home for Sport' for RAF gliding and that the first UK Soaring glider pilot in 1930 was an instructor at Halton (ex RFC aircrew in WWI). They even have a RAFGSA owned Grob 109b (an unmolested Vigilant!) that flies most weekends to the civilian airworthiness standard.
Best
LJ
It was interesting to take a close look at both a Tutor and a Vigilant as they sat side by side on the static display at the Abingdon airshow yesterday. As an engineer I was horrified at the masses of pin holes in the gel coat on the wing leading edges. Thoughts of the water penetration possibilities and subsequent reduction in the strength of the wings came to mind, no wonder these aircraft have been declared unairworthy. Oh hang on, it was the Tutor I was looking at, no pin holes on the Vigilant.
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For those Members who were promised or expected a 'communication' about 'what everyone will be doing' by the end of April ... Why not 'Ping' OC 2FTS direct ?
I suspect you won't get a reply ... But enough irritating 'Pings' on his mobile might prompt him to act
https://mobile.twitter.com/oc2fts
Clearly up to the individual to consider PERSEC issues or not
I suspect you won't get a reply ... But enough irritating 'Pings' on his mobile might prompt him to act
https://mobile.twitter.com/oc2fts
Clearly up to the individual to consider PERSEC issues or not
Clearly new cadets and staff are queuing round the block to be part of the new ATC world of pretend flying and packing bags in supermarkets.
Packing Bags
Just about sums up the current situation.
I was in a supermarket recently and the local Squadron was there in force 'assisting' customers.
A high % of the Cadets were NCO's but none of them had any Gliding badges.
Enough said.
I was in a supermarket recently and the local Squadron was there in force 'assisting' customers.
A high % of the Cadets were NCO's but none of them had any Gliding badges.
Enough said.
I was talking to an AWO from a nearby Squadron and he told me that he had cadets aged 16, having been on the Squadron for three years had never seen a glider, let alone fly in one (611 VGS stopped flying when they were kicked out of Watton three years ago and with the exception of a couple of months (I think), haven't flown since....
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XV275
What you are looking at on the leading edge of the Tutor wing is not the Gel coat, it is the paint finish. Small imperfections in the surface paint finish have no structural issues.
Cadet flying
To add to Auster Fan's comments. The only cadets on my squadron who've done any flying in the last year are those who won flying scholarships.
Thinking ahead a bit, how long before you'll need a qualification to teach cadets to use Flight Sim? Elfan Safety rules you know......
Thinking ahead a bit, how long before you'll need a qualification to teach cadets to use Flight Sim? Elfan Safety rules you know......
I wouldn't class what I saw as small imperfections in a paint surface. I've seen pub dart boards with fewer pin holes than those leading edges had. I certainly wouldn't want them on any composite airframe I owned or flew.
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I see the ACO has been awarded The Air League Gold Medal in 'Recognition of 75 Years of Excellence' as part of their 75th anniversary celebrations ...
Presented by HRH The DoE ...
75 - 2 as far as gliding is concerned
Commandant ACO Twitter
Presented by HRH The DoE ...
75 - 2 as far as gliding is concerned
Commandant ACO Twitter
That is a signal mark of achievement which I endorse - however, there are those who may have contributed less than others - hope presentation was received by a representative cadet, not some further up the tree.
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Wander ...
I agree with you. But in respect of your last comment ... Seemingly not.
Commandant ACO Twitter : Gold Medal
I agree with you. But in respect of your last comment ... Seemingly not.
Commandant ACO Twitter : Gold Medal
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Wander ...
I agree with you. But in respect of your last comment ... Seemingly not.
Commandant ACO Twitter : Gold Medal
I agree with you. But in respect of your last comment ... Seemingly not.
Commandant ACO Twitter : Gold Medal
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XV275
If you can't tell the difference between a gel coat and an acrylic paint finish I don't think you should be commenting on the condition of composite structures.
You demonstrate an attitude of a lot of people in this still very metalcentric industry. I was once in the same place having completed the composite repair course with BA.
The BA course may have been good enough for minor repairs to the fairings and floorboards of mostly metal aircraft but the techniques and practices of that era simply are not good enough for modern all composite structures.
The fact of the matter is if you want to find the very best use of and repair techniques for cutting edge composite structures you have to look first to the people who are in the gliding industry................. This is a fact that the heavy side of the business has difficulty accepting.
The best example of the misconception prevalent in the industry as a whole can be seen on the PPrune thread about the B787 that was damaged by fire at LHR a year or two back, with suggested repairs that clearly based on knowlage of metal aircraft and no idea of compostite load transfer.
You demonstrate an attitude of a lot of people in this still very metalcentric industry. I was once in the same place having completed the composite repair course with BA.
The BA course may have been good enough for minor repairs to the fairings and floorboards of mostly metal aircraft but the techniques and practices of that era simply are not good enough for modern all composite structures.
The fact of the matter is if you want to find the very best use of and repair techniques for cutting edge composite structures you have to look first to the people who are in the gliding industry................. This is a fact that the heavy side of the business has difficulty accepting.
The best example of the misconception prevalent in the industry as a whole can be seen on the PPrune thread about the B787 that was damaged by fire at LHR a year or two back, with suggested repairs that clearly based on knowlage of metal aircraft and no idea of compostite load transfer.
Whether its Gel coat or acrylic paint is immaterial, what I was shown was numerous pin holes through the outer surface that would allow water to penetrate through to the composite beneath. Now allow that trapped water to freeze and just watch what happens to the airframe. I doubt that the Tutor is limited to operations in positive OAT only.
I'm far from being metalcentric, in fact I truly believe that an aircraft isn't an aircraft if you can't poke your finger through the fabric.
I'm far from being metalcentric, in fact I truly believe that an aircraft isn't an aircraft if you can't poke your finger through the fabric.