Air cadet gliding cost £3,000,000 last year, and the VGS’s managed to get 5,000 cadets airborne. That’s £600 per cadet.

There seems to be a lot of worries over health and safety with the cadet glider program, but how many cadets were actually hurt under the current glider program when the air cadet program moved to the current glass gliders and motor gliders, but before the "pause" ?

In the 'wooden' era I experienced one fatality and two accidents which involved broken legs in the period 1964 to 1970; I'm sure there were more but we didn't get to hear about them all except when there were 'D' Notices issued so of course they were hushed up.

We ran a 'production' line
 

The simple facts regarding the 'MK3' type of operation was that was unique to the Air Cadets. We had a very simple reliable machine that was easily adapted for trolley retrieve as opposed to 'walk backs' from mid field. In the case of A&B training this meant that aircraft could be back on line sometimes before cables arrived. When the AE really got going, then the line would be arranged to allow for spot landings at the t-off point and then the crew could stay on board.
With a couple of twin drum winches the launch rate was amazing, and we used to give AE cadets 3 launches as the norm. This was not only good for the Cadets but also gave the P2/UT instructors a concentrated experience level.
Being a w-end operation meant we could not guarantee low launch solo's compared to a continuous course, so it also highlighted how continuity also played its part.
In hindsight the system could not be improved on as a producer of 'Solo's' but of course it also provided an amazing experience for youngsters that were not even 'streamed' for capability. That was the ATC USP, and it could never be improved on due to the simplicity of the equipment and mega enthusiasm of the youngsters who were also a major part in the hands on operation. A bit like the Bumble Bee that does not know he can not fly the ATC ran like it did because they did not know any other way, and of course they were correct. My goodness how lucky we were to have had that magic time before it was 'organised' !!!!. Oh and by the way it was also SAFE, and that was because the system was CAPABLE end of.