F3wmb,

It did work and successfully identified a few areas where the trg system had some obvious gaps quite quickly.

The main problem with the system was that it was never properly manned, as it really needed someone light blue to run it, probably as 50% of a full time job. Iirc the duty was given to a civil servant typist or equiv to run after I left, which meant that there was no one to kick the results up the chain when there were discrepancies in output and input standards, and therefore I suspect that the whole system was forgotten about in the PTC relocation.

I certainly haven't seen evidence of it's existence in about 6 or 7 years I don't think, though the results of the initial year of operation did come to fruition about 5 years after we id'd some easy changes in courses.

I think just 5 phenoms is a tad ludicrous too.

As the previous poster mentioned, would be interested to hear what the uas/aef will be flying.

UAS/AEF, assuming they survive the next set of defence cuts, will continue to fly the G115E Tutor.

The numbers of ac do look small....but I'm sure the company & RAF have done their sums correctly.

Did I just say that out loud?

I read that the UAS scheme now aims to get a student to solo standard before the end of their second year.....:\

It was always my aim to get my students (who arrived in the New Year) to have finished their circuit consolidation before their first Summer Camp - so that I didn't have to sit watching them from the control tower. I always managed that!

But 2 years to solo? :eek:

Still, I suppose it gives them more time for all that playing pongoes stuff they seem to do these days....:hmm:

Will the UAS scheme survive? Who knows - but I gather that there's an 'option' paper in draft. So I wouldn't bet on it.

With regard to AEF flying I do wonder how long it will be before someone decides it is more cost effective to buy flying hours at local flying clubs to supply flying for air cadets.

MtM - but again it is also about "ethos" - at least an AEF is part of the Royal air Force, which is also what the scheme is about promoting. Sounds like the whole flying training operation is "going to hell in a handcart!" Sad

history
 

Perhaps history will be forced to repeat itself ?
The Texas Air Base Where NATO Fighter Pilots Are Forged ........... :E ... LFH

Mind you, following the move of the AEF in this neck of the woods to another base beginning with "W" there is no cadet flying until at least September I am told. So that's no flying or gliding and not much "Air" in "Air Cadets" locally just now.

The emphasis on flying was reduced several years ago so therefore the time taken to any particular phase will be longer.

I'd stop listening to who "told" you that then. 5 AEF have been flying cadets at Wittering for well over a month.

How on earth does such incompetence, veering on negligence happen? Who is being held to account? The report criticises the MOD's failure to hold Ascent to account, but is whomever was responsible for staffing and signing off on this disaster being held to account?

Or have they been given a gong, promoted and shuffled off to a cushy office somewhere?

Even so, 2 years to solo is a total waste of time.

Clearly there's not much 'Air' in 'University Air Squadrons' these days either.....:mad:

...and not much 'Squadron' if they send them to a flying club.

M01,

No-one, of course! That's the problem with the public sector it doesn't matter how many squillions are wasted on projects (that sometimes don't even come to fruition), or daft ideas that anyone at the coalface can see won't work, or demonstrations of sheer neglect, or incompetence etc etc - no-one ever gets their feet held close to the fire and we never seem to learn.

Looking at the RAF we have had Nimrod fiascos, both AEW3 and MRA4, MFTS, AirTanker PFI and combining BZN and LYE: and, coming along shortly, possibly, the F35 (don't mention the carriers!).

It's depressing really, particularly in regard to a Service to which I devoted nearly 28 years of my life.:ugh:

Or participate in NFTC again.....:E

NFTC
 

This place has it's own problems. It would not be able to cope with an influx of Brit pilots for a while yet and the contract finishes in 5 years anyway. Best to look somewhere else. Or do what I suggested about five years ago. Send the T2s to Cold Lake and solve the RAF and RCAF problems in a stroke.

BV:eek::ok:

JAG - True they are flying UAS cadets but AEF is on hold until September according to the e-mail my Adj got.

If the 2FTS farce is anything to go by, they won't be outsourcing AEF to private providers. They're just not ready to take the 'risk' that the civilian flying training environment allegedly represents. In fact, one of the first things they did after the 'pause' in gliding was announce that the existing arrangements for permitting flights in civilian light aircraft would no longer apply. Just when I was seriously considering it to supplement the meagre AEF available.

My crystal ball says we will have nothing but the VGS system left in 10 years, if that.

To the credit of Comdt AC, though, she did present a graph of air cadet numbers against hours flown - almost a perfect fit (they crashed together) and described it as the biggest risk to the organisation. She understands but can she do anything about it?

I remain astonished that no real effort was made to maintain the 'Gold Standard' flying training system that worked so well, even with a dwindling number of RAF students.

Surely to god excess capacity could have been sold to overseas air forces, or could have been used to promote the UK's interests as a kind of 'soft power'/military diplomacy exercise?

Or a mixture of both?

Ah, pba target.
Plan A seems to be Don't Measure/Inspect it.
Plan B If you're measuring it, under-resource the measurement/inspection so it is ineffective.

It would appear they went to Plan B in your case.

p.s. So I guess getting 144 hours in 3 years (including solo formation) on the UAS doesn't happen much any more? ;)

M8, I can guarantee you that 5 AEF are flying air cadets at Wittering and have been for a while now. :ok:

Both UAS's are flying students as well. And both EFT squadrons are set up and running.