Flying Scholarships?
 

Many years ago, I was lucky enough that the kind RAF gave me one of these.

A nephew of mine is now 16. He is an Air Cadet, glides a lot, nice kid etc and yet had never even heard of how to go about getting Flying Scholarships etc.

A quick google shows that the whole system has changed since my day.
Does anybody here have any good links or info on the current system so I can help him out?

My initial search seems to suggest that application has to be done by the Cadet Unit now and there seems to be a variety of different ones?

Many thanks for any assistance.

The only thing I've gathered is it's now 1 Cadet to PPL [30 hours] and 3[?] to Solo [12 hours].

I can't remember any of the process that led to me getting my Flying Scholarship [in 63], apart from visiting OASC Hornchurch of Interviews and Medical. But I'm sure, as you say, that it's Unit generated.

1963 was a good year for me. Promoted to Cadet FS, PPL and an AOC Air Cadets Commendation :)

Of course those applying for Flying Scholarships in the ACO should have completed a Gliding Scholarship, but that's an entirely different topic!

You could have a look at the Air League Scholarships as well, although these are open to all so obviously there may be more competition.
Scholarships ? The Air League

It would appear that the scheme we know is now defunct.

The Air cadets web site says this:
http://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/what...holarships.cfm

The RAFA Scheme (mentioned above) shows one place for 35 hours and 4 runners up with 12 hours:
https://www.rafa.org.uk/wp-content/u...Conditions.pdf

So presumably Special Flying Awards have also been scrapped?

Also one for Best Cadet at RIAT camp provided by Oxford.

The arrangements are now called The Air Cadet Pilot Scheme and the Air Cadet Pilot Navigation Scheme: ACPS and ACPNS.

The former, for example, includes a 12 hour course at Tayside Aviation at Dundee and there are other ways in which the course is delivered to selected cadets. ACPNS is IMHO a better bet since it allows much more than applied flying and whilst the hands on flying is less, the general aviation experience is greater.

Your lad needs to start jumping about at his ATC sqn to find out how the schemes are being organised in his sqn/Wg.

You say he does a lot of gliding - if that's with the ATC, then he's the only one who is!!!!!!!!!!! See other Threads re ATC gliding.

As reported above, there are other opportunities too numerous to mention here but in relatively modest numbers only.

Old Duffer

In my opinion the move to put all Flying Scholarships (or whatever they call the, these days) at Dundee Airport was a massive error. Whilst I am sure that the uber keen sold their soul to get there, it will have put off many more and especially those from more humble backgrounds.

The whole contract should be scrutinised and in my opinion regionalised again. Letting the Service Flying Clubs take a slice of the students would pass on savings to the taxpayer (as Service Flying Clubs are non profit making) or could even see the funding stretch further to more Air Cadet students.

When I run the Air Force it will all be different...:}

Just to illustrate the savings. A 30 minute trial lesson at Dundee is £95, whereas the same with a RAF Flying Club is ~£55 in a similar aircraft. I don't know what the RAF/ACO pay per head for the courses at Dundee but I would be amazed if they were cheaper.

It could be as simple as fly 2 cadets and get a third free!!!

According to their website:Has anyone ever seen that contract advertised or put out to tender? How is it that Tayside has such exclusivity?

When I did my Special Flying Award as part of an RAF Scholarship in 1968, I was allowed to choose where I did it....and chose Rogers Aviation at Cranfield, one of the many civil flying schools which provided such training in those days?

I did mine at Tayside, and I have to say that it was brilliant.

Beagle it is still put out to Tender, and Tayside Aviation have won that Tender in recent years. I did mine there in 1986 and are still meeting people regularly in the Aviation world who did theirs there too. Great intro to flying, and the Flying Instructors are assessed annually by CFS.
I think when the numbers shrunk several years ago it was cheaper and simpler to place the Tender at one airfield.
iRaven, I just don't think the RAF flying clubs would have enough flying instructors and aircraft to dedicate themselves to the courses which run into weeks duration and are done all year round.
SW

It was 3 week in Jul 63 for me, Oxford Aero Club at Kidlington - with about 8 others, IIRC. Piper Colt [easy!] with a couple of trips in Chipmunk to demonstrate what real stalling/spinning is like! Housed/shedded in a SeCo hut for the duration. I assume we were fed in the Flying Club's restaurant ... it was so long ago now!

Thence to BRNC Dartmouth, where in Nov I managed to fail my Flying Grading on Tiger Moths. Here endeth flying career!

The Tayside connection was probably established during that period when the CFI was an ex-Red 2 and lightning jockey (it takes style to pitch into work in an E-Type) Scholarships running since 1978 - if not earlier.

Sywell, in J1/N Austers in 1961. Irascible instructor called Les Hilditch. All 5 of us still breathing. Lived in the old Reserve Flying School bungalows and ate in the airport restaurant, all for 1/- a day (5p to you youngsters). Went home for a week then a month of Outward Bound Moray Sea School. Went back for last year at grammar school feeling somewhat more experienced than my peers

Yeadon (now Leeds/Bradford) 1962. Chipmunks G-ARFO & G-ARSU. Myself and Barry Hyde - both of us from Lancaster RGS. B&B in very comfortable local hostelry. Awarded PPL, returned to school for six months, Moray Outward Bound, and then S Cerney. Barry joined four months ahead of me but, very sadly, was killed in a night mid-air at Ouston.

Jindabayne - what was your course number at Moray - I was 112, Aug/Sep 61

Can't recall the Course No, Wander - but it was January 1962.

aah, so you were a couple or 3 courses behind me. It was life changing month, but I sometimes think back and wonder about some of the staff, really quite a strange bunch and on reflection make schoolmasters of the 60s seem almost normal. I have just had an e-mail about some celebration of the 75th anniversary of OB .

Skegness 1962. Accommodated at Butlins