Carol Vorderman

[Mike Flynn]

Some pictures from today at Lossiemouth.

I probably give about 25 days a year to the ACO now and enjoy every single minute of it. I am a mother of two children (they are young adults now… how time flies!!) both of whom were cadets and my daughter Katie was also in a University Air Squadron for a number of years, so it’s been a part of our lives for many years.

“I’m also delighted to report that the percentage of girls in the ACO is growing quite quickly. When I was young we girls were not allowed to join Air Cadets, University Air Squadrons (I was turned away from Cambridge UAS in 1978), or join up as a potential pilot. How times have changed - for the better."

Air Cadets Ambassador visits RAF Lossiemouth

[maxred]

Excellent. That is the way to do it.

[swopiv]

Good stuff. Carol demonstrating the proper way to inspire the next generation of pilots and engineers. I hope many girls will see her example and think 'I can do that'.

[olster]

Interesting. So, my son and his mates @ a UAS - devoting a lot of time and commitment outwith their university studies have about much chance of a typhoon ride as a trip to the ISS....coupled with grob tutors continually u/s. His summer camp eventually got him a ride in the back of a helicopter. However, a bloody tv 'celebrity' gets launched in a eurofighter. Yes I know she heads up the air cadets. Here's a plan: how about giving the ride to one of the cadets if you really want to encourage young people into military aviation? Btw this is me complaining on my son's behalf, not him. Rant over.

[maxred]

Olster, I completely agree with your rant, but it is not Carol Vorderman's fault. She will have been offered a ride, and who would turn that down? You, and all of us, understand the system. It has always been that way. Irritating, but the way it is. Even more irksome are when the pigs at the Golden Trough get given their knighthoods, whilst actually, most are dodging a well deserved jail sentence. Better Together anyone?

[Lind1795]

Olster,

I could not agree more. I am thoroughly cheesed off with 'celebrityism' and the look at me brigade. If CV really cared about the cadets she would have offered the ride (organised a competition or whatever) in the Typhoon to one of them - assuming the individual met the relevant criteria - height, weight, permission from parents and any medical / safety issues there may be. If this was not possible then she should have politely declined yet more limelight. Given her obvious wealth and influence perhaps she could do something a little more productive and address some of the issues you raise in your comments. Maybe I am overly cynical but I find the current trend of 'look at me' female pilots an utter embarrassment and in no way good for women in aviation.

[olster]

Maxred: point taken. Can't disagree with you; frustrating though.

[Sam Rutherford]

Actually, simpler than that.

This gets lots of press that a flying random air cadet doesn't. That press can be used to raise money from other sources - allowing more children the opportunities to fly anything at all.

If the calculation was as simple as:

1x cadet for 1 flight in a jet.

Or

10x cadets for 1 flight in a Grob

Then it's a no-brainer that Carol gets the jet gig, so 10 cadets get the Grob gig...

[The_Pink_Panther]

This is great, this is a far more positive example and a more inspirational approach to encouraging women than any enforced "you should have more women" strategy.

[Planemike]

...and she hasn't claimed to have flown solo, as far as I know....!!!!

[olster]

I get what people are saying. However, my view is that the self - aggrandisement of the celeb is also part of the equation. It would be wonderful if the cadets got more Grob flying but that is not happening either. My son's UAS has the same issues with flying being cut continually. Encouraging youngsters into aviation is a noble aim but unfortunately it is more complicated than that. I am not over enthusiastic about self - publicising celebs although the probability is that Ms Vordeman does a good job with the air cadets. However she could start with promoting more flying, powered and gliding and using her 'fame' to obtain funding. Unfortunately I detect a whiff of 'T-C-T' about her - apparently another female 'solo' global trip ahead - maybe I'm doing her a disservice. However she is wrong about one thing: a friend of mine's wife is about Ms Vordeman's age - she was in the UAS in her youth so there was no bar to women joining the UAS back then. My friend also had 8(!) Harrier rides on her summer camp versus my son's back of a helicopter ride this year. I might add that my friend's wife is now a BA 777 captain so she obviously had the right encouragement coupled with her own ability.

Cheers

[Meikleour]

8(!) Harrier rides - what luxery! My highlight on a UAS summer camp was 12 hours in the bowels of a Shackleton flying up to the artic circle and back! I still remember the pain on removing my bonedome. It was interesting though..........

[piperboy84]

There is probably a bit of health & safety rules and fear of litigation coming into play, I don't know the rules for UAS but a few years back at a fly-in in Aberdeenshire I offered 4 ATC cadets a ride round the pattern, all accepted and I gave them control on the downwind which they loved. Fast forward to last year and a different group of cadets did a fine job giving Lt.Cdr. Jock Moffat (Sink the Bismarck) a welcoming parade at Scone for an award he was receiving. Afterwards I offered them the same thing but the leader said they weren't able to accept due to risk and liability. Shame really but that's the world we live in.

Edit to add: The Aberdeenshire cadets had all done glider training and really knew their stuff, 3 of the 4 were girls and two of them were originally from Eastern Europe, all well disciplined and professional, a real credit to their squadron.

[Whopity]

I am surprised she isn't too busy planning her round the World solo, that she announced she was going to do, this year, last year, and the year before! Perhaps she has taken heed to Martin Shaw

[mary meagher]

Hey, do you think I should volunteer to fly around the world solo? I might be by then the oldest woman pilot still flying...maybe Colin Hales would lend me his KR2!
Seriously, Colin is now wrestling with Russian airspace...and bureaucrats! an article in Pilot magazine tells about him, (and the teddy bear passenger....do you think the stuffed bear is doing his nav like the S.B. in Tracey's Stearman....) Colin is an excellent engineer, he used to look after my Supercub - which I flew solo to Alicante and back in the month of February, a few years ago....it only took 14 days altogether, due to interesting weather.

[olster]

Lind1795: I completely agree with you. As I already have said my son and his uni colleagues show great commitment to their UAS. They have virtually zero chance of a fast jet ride of any kind. I appreciate that times have changed but unfortunately I am also cynical about 'celebrity' endorsement. The air cadets get virtually no flying / gliding exposure so essentially they have become a blue uniformed version of the scouts / guides. I still maintain that it would have been better to give the eurofighter ride to an air cadet but fat chance I guess.

Cheers

[Above The Clouds]

Originally Posted by olster

Lind1795: I completely agree with you. As I already have said my son and his uni colleagues show great commitment to their UAS. They have virtually zero chance of a fast jet ride of any kind. I appreciate that times have changed but unfortunately I am also cynical about 'celebrity' endorsement. The air cadets get virtually no flying / gliding exposure so essentially they have become a blue uniformed version of the scouts / guides. I still maintain that it would have been better to give the eurofighter ride to an air cadet but fat chance I guess.

Cheers

With all due respect to the cadets, depending on their age and size would also be a deciding factor to give them rides in fast jets or any aircraft for that matter fitted with an ejection seat.

[Mike Flynn]

I agree with you Above The Clouds.

In a past life I have had a number of military fast jet and helicopter jaunts,been winched out of a lifeboat in to a Sea King and enjoyed RAF,Army and Navy sponsored hospitality in the UK and abroad when working for the BBC.

RAF jet experience flights require a medical plus ejection instruction and kit out. I do not think any junior cadet would be allowed. In my 35 years of flying the only time I have ever been airsick was in a Hawk downwind at RAF Valley. I managed the whole low flying routine in the Ogwen Valley but Harry The Pilot was determined to get me. Those of you ex fast jet school will know who I am talking about. Clue anagram,airshow organiser.

Carol is doing a good job in a low key way encouraging youngsters to join the cadets.

If you look at the pictures I posted she is at the back of the group and not sporting any sort of 'clown' suit.

I am sure the cadets in that picture came away having had a nice day but the publicity may well have inspired other young people to think about about a Forces career.

[piperboy84]

is at the back of the group and not sporting any sort of 'clown' suit.

And perhaps more importantly, she appears to be intently listening to what the speaker has to say and not hogging the mike.

[Local Variation]

Good on her I say. Saw her at the Sywell rally a couple of years ago and it was clear her interest in aviation is a healthy one.

Being in the public eye, she will be overly scrutinised.

I'll have two from the top and four from the bottom please Carol.