Ona slightly different topic, the first Senior Volunteer Adviser has been appointed (and first volunteer Group Captain - excluding Honorary Group Captains): Group Captain Andy Pass who also was awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List this year. About to relinquish command (if he hasn't already) of South and East Midlands Wing, so it will be interesting to see (as a former RAFVR(T) Officer myself) what difference it will make in future...

Pegasus,
Sorry for the late reply.

I'd heard the ACO became RAFAC in late 2017. Maybe that was part of the reason, after 42 years as in instructor, I left......

"One could easily argue that the gains from the amazing experience of solo flight with associated decision making are indeed an aid for youth at an important part of their life"

One could and should but it doesn't cut much ice with head teachers who are measured on the schools exam results - just like the idiot restrictions on taking a short holiday in term time

This is soo depressing...:{

I'm glad I went through the system when I did.

No sooner than the air cadets were allowed back in the air with the AEF's, all flying has been paused again due to another tech issue with the Tutor.

Anyone know what the latest issue is, and how long its likely to take to fix it?

Officers to 'carry the can' ....
 

...
Can't help with the Tutor, but one is tempted to suggest it might have something to do with Ben Wallace's cunning plan to hold VSOs accountable for their defence management shortcomings -

The perceived danger in Whitehall would be "It might catch on, so we'd better ground everything that might get us into trouble ... until we can get him replaced ..."

Times, Nov 26, by Larisa Brown - ......... Officers to 'carry the can' for Ajax tank fiasco

Why stop at Ajax ?

LFH

Who said cadets were allowed back in the air? None have flown since Mar 20.

You’re quite a long way behind: there was a rudder attachment failure and all the Tutors are being inspected and (as required) fixed. They are trickling back in; UAS flying has restarted; cadets in the New Year. Reduced capacity due to COVID precautions. (Think shared helmets.)

I've known about the rudder bracket for a while now and know that they had been back in the air for a few months, (regularly seen in the locality of Wittering).
I'm also aware that 2FTS were cleared to fly cadets again at the start of November, and some units, such as 7 AEF at Cranwell had restarted the flying program pretty much straight away.
I'm also aware that cadets who were scheduled to fly between now and Christmas have been told their slots are now cancelled due to a tech issue with the aircraft. Hence my question!

There’s a restriction on aerobatics due to things being found in the oil that shouldn’t have been, but that hasn’t grounded them again.

Anyone got an update on which VGS are operating now and which are 'working up'

615 at Kenley has been flying for some months now - can't recall when they restarted, probably June or July.

615 Operations
 

Upholding a fine tradition of 'surviving & providing' just like its historic base. (Image Treads) PC
Just for the record Pobjoy was a very early 'volunteer' for Gliding AEF before it became part of the 'Gliding schools' program in addition to training.
Having only just got my uniform I happened to be one of the few Cadets left at our (450 Squadron ATC HQ Kenley) after the squadron bussed off to White Waltham for Chipmunk flying one Sunday. We were supposed to be cleaning the HQ, but a landrover arrived from 615 and asked for some Cadets to go over for a 'trial' AE flight.
We promptly ditched our 'bumpers and brooms' and went Gliding, and in my case I just kept going back to help out.
The joke was the Chipmunk brigade did not fly (weather) and we got 2 or 3 three launches each in a MK3. Bit of a row when the Squadron officers found out, but we had participated in some of the first programmed Gliding AE, and it started me off in an amazing adventure of actually flying AE Cadets myself whilst still a Cadet !!!!
615 & Kenley, unbeatable combination. (the MK 3's replaced the Hurricanes), and we called them the fretwork fighters.

Apparently, AOC 22 Gp and HQAC have removed the responsibility for teaching ground school and the flight simulators from 2 FTS and the VGS.

It took some time, but it was finally seen as a terrible waste of time to have cadets at a VGS, but for them to spend a whole morning in a classroom. Hence why gliding numbers have remained painfully low since the end of the pause.
As a knock-on from these low numbers, the lack of slots at VGS meant only a small number of cadets were getting the ground school and this was an unnecessary blocker to cadets getting wings for their flight at an AEF, (of which there were hundreds).

The ground school and flight simulator sortie will now be taught within squadrons, where it should always have been.

Here ya go Pobjoy!

Wait... can't find it. Try when I get back home...

Survivors
 

When it comes it should be Flagged Up as Kenley (Survivor) 615 (Still going strong) With some help from 111 Squadron which survived until 2011

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....3896a7e9bd.jpg
Kenley (Survivor) 615 (Still going strong) With some help from 111 Squadron which survived until 2011

A link to this came up on my FB page.

It appears the Grobs are getting a new lease of life, for a worthwhile cause. My apologies if this has already been posted about on here.

It's a shame all the locations are in the South and therefore beyond any realistic participation for me. That said, whom they are seeking in terms of experience, and what they offer, is quite specific which is understandable. It would be interesting to see who is doing the certification and under what auspice however.

Project Able (g109able.org)

There was an article about it in one of the flying magazines a while ago. I must admit it gave me very mixed feelings.

I was delighted to see that the aircraft are in fact "recoverable" and that they will be used in an excellent cause. Aerobility is a great organisation. I do have a few doubts about how robust they will be in their new role though.

This delight though was probably overcome by sadness and anger that the air cadet gliding organisation was decimated because apparently these aircraft were "not recoverable". I find it amazing that a charity (with a large grant from the government to help them) is able to acomplish this whilst all the resources of the MOD/RAF/ATC were not.

Perhaps we should nominate Mike Miller-Smith to be the next Chief of the Air Staff. (He could be deputy as apparently there is now a vacancy!)

Grob Disposal SCANDAL
 

Grob disposal, just another scandal to finish off the original scandal. The Cadets machines were in practice 'given away' on the basis that some can be sold to fund a very expensive 'upgrade' for (what benefit) !!!!
Easy to see who did well out of it (follow the money)
Of course the Cadets are the 'lost cause' together with the destruction of a fine training organisation that was the best value ever for a basic introduction to hands on flying.
This is what happens when you have complete clots in charge of a public purse, its not their money or business, and contractors run circles around a system staffed by complete non tech office staff. SCANDAL SCANDAL SCANDAL, and a sad end to the best ab initio TRAINING FACILITY in the world (END OF). Yes that is what is was, a VOLUNTEER TRAINING FACILITY for youngsters that delivered the goods, did it well, and was let down by the 'full time paid staff' that had absolutely no idea what they destroyed.

Perhaps AOC 22 Gp would like to establish an AEF at Chivenor to replace the VGS that was sadly shut down as part of the Grob fiasco.

Chivenor has lots of hangarage, no airspace issues (class G for miles in every direction) and a chuffing great runway the RM only use for vehicles - and there would be no shortage of volunteers to fly there either.

Buying your way out of a SCANDAL
 

Q How do you cover up a scandal of immense proportions.

Answer, Issue false information out into the public domain, and then 'proclaim' a fantastic solution has been found to a problem (that did not exist ) by spending even more public money that
A :- Does not actually remedy anything other than reputation, B :- Destroys a huge economical 'volunteer' facility for all youth, C :- 'Gives' a public asset away and spends even more money for a business opportunity to third parties with no advantage to the National youth organisation that had its capability destroyed.

Are we surprised at the outcome, of course not, why would a Government organisation that could not even keep a fleet of Gliders serviceable be capable of delivering a fit for purpose solution to complete internal incompetence.

I think you'll find that that hangarage, along with the associated dispersals, has been rather heavily repurposed by the two resident Regiments!

By the way, whatever happened to the additional AEF that was announced as being stood up when the original downsizing and rationalising was announced?

Halton is still operating and is used mostly at weekends and wednesday afternoons for gliding plus light aircraft.

But Halton is closing in 2025.

That maybe plan today but after the present situation, will it?

Not the VGS stuff. The lovely new hangars that were built the last time Chivenor was reopened have been taken over by the logistics Regt as has the 22 Sqn Hangar and dispersal.

The important vehicles are all in a purpose built environmentally controlled building.

There is plenty of space for an AEF.

Chivenor
 

Whilst I would agree that Chiv 'was' / could be an ideal VGS site it is a remote location that under current circumstances would be difficult to both staff and attract suitable Cadet numbers.
The same situation as Predannack that is a perfect location for 'use' but even more remote than Chiv.
The 'customer' situation for any VGS has been made worse by Covid, and the lack of adult staff across many organisations. It may be that they will have to offer their 'air element' to other youth organisations that would benefit from the use of 'public equipment'.
I have always thought that Gliding is an excellent way for youth to 'develop' and the unique way it can unlock both confidence and decision making at a time when many are tied to screens and box ticking is still as valid today as it ever was. Perhaps it is time for someone to look outside the box and make the VGS facility a truly national youth facility, therefore getting maximum use from equipment and locations which it plainly does not achieve at present.

Whilst agreeing that there most probably IS space for an AEF, I think you'll find that those "lovely new hangars" were in fact the very same hangars that were built there in 1940, and the very same ones that I saw and experienced when I was there with 229 OCU. New cladding and offices were added in the rebuild. The 229 OCU that I experienced was tin shacks and wooden huts. The rebuild produced a wonderful station.

Is there going to be a new AEF anywhere? As promised by the minister at the time of the AEF/VGS announcement?

When the current system is unable to serve the existing organisation it's too much to ask them - with no increase in assets - to serve every other youth organisations out there.

Believe me - I was on the first of the new Chiv courses in 1980 and those really were lovely new hangars. Clean, properly heated, central systems etc. - the engineers loved them!

Having just had a look on Google earth, am pretty sure that those are the standard wartime T2 and B1 hangars that were there when I went through in the late sixties. Maybe repainted, re clad, new floors and re-equipped throughout, but they are still 1940 vintage T2 and B1 wartime temporary hangars.

Precisely.
Apparently Aylesbury Vale District Council are happy with all the vast area available on the camp area and haven't yet considered the airfield so why can't the airfield be retained as an 'MOD Airfield' same as Little Rissington.

Out of The Box!!!
 

You just said it yourself (When the current system is unable to serve it) The equipment is there and is not being utilised because the 'current system' does not work, End Of.
It stopped working years ago, and has just floundered around 'rudder less' with no leadership, and now no staff.
The Grob disposal scandal was just another scandal added to the ongoing list of wasted public assets, and MOD tech incompetence.
When I suggest opening it up to all, that includes alternative organisations to the RAF who are plainly incapable of original thought or current ability to do it themselves.
It is not Covid to blame, but the hapless individuals who were paid to oversee the Cadet organisation at high level, and who betrayed the Volunteers who had never let the Cadets down.

As a matter of interest, where can I find the civil registration list of ex Air Cadets Grob 109s?

G-INFO..CAA website.....

Well done 615 who have now sent SOLO Cadets 8 years after that dreadful 2014 Easter pause. I admire their 'staying with it attitude' despite the chaos of the past few years. Just confirming how the 'coal face' can deliver the goods despite the odds. Of course being at Kenley they have a tradition to keep up, still surviving and serving despite everything.

Any truth in the duty rumour that the Tutors have been grounded again?

All I can find is a facebook post from 7 AEF saying, "Unfortunately due to Tutor unavailability all flying this weekend has been cancelled at Cranwell. Please do not travel."

Sadly, yes. Of some significance unfortunately.

I’ll let others elaborate.