RAF / Air Cadet Flying Scholarships?
 

Does anyone know if these still exist - I was asked today what the current state was and am not sure. I tried to look it up and did not get very far.

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

TZ

They still exist in the form of Air Cadet Flying Scholarships but I can't remember many of the details. There are 3 varieties and can be done with the UAS aircraft or at civilian flying schools.

TZ - they still exist, partly sponsored by Air League / HQAC / RAF Association. ISTR they're not called FS any more, but can't remember the exact term - I thought it would be in ACP20A. Try a call to Trg Air at Cranwell - they should be able to point you in the right direction.

There is a Flying Scholarship scheme within the ATC that is alive and well. The RAF withdrew their Flying Scholarship scheme in recent years, however HQAC responded and started a new scheme.
The following courses are open to ATC Cadets;

Air Cadet Flying Scholarship (Light Aircraft)

Air Cadet Flying Scholarship (Microlight)

Air Cadet Flying Scholarship (AEF)

Air Cadet Pilot Navigation Training Scheme

As well as the usual Gliding Scholarships. The Light Aircraft Schol. is 10 hours of flying done at a Civil flying club. I am not entirely sure of the Microlight scheme , but the Nav. and AEF Scholarships are done on AEF's.
It is also worth looking to the Air League and GAPAN for sponsorship.

ASI

The Air Cadet Flying Scholarship (Light Aircraft) is actually 12 hrs in civvy light aircraft. Last I heard they were being done @ RAF Halton.

The Air Cadet Flying Scholarship (Microlight) is flown with the RAFMFA at Halton on a 3-axis aircraft. Takes the cadet to first solo and beyond if time allows. Some short solo-xc's have been flown.

The Air Cadet Pilot Navigation Training Scheme is flown with a UAS/AEF. I think it's 8hrs airborne (obviously combined with suitable ground instruction).

Unsure about the details of the Air Cadet Flying Scholarship (AEF).

Ahh, how things have changed. I was awarded a Royal Naval Flying Scholarship back in 1974, through the CCF at school. I had to go through and pass the Aircrew Selection aptitude and medical at Biggin Hill.

The scholarship was 30 hours flying at a civilian flying school, and I spent part of the summer of 1974 at Ipswich - happy, carefree days!

As a result, I managed to obtain my PPL before I passed my driving licence! (first attempt I reversed into the kerb, despite having practised it for what seemed like hundreds of times).

More free flying followed at University, courtesy of the RAF and UAS. The standard of training was second to none, and has stood me in wonderful stead for all my subsequent flying.

Angels 99, thanks for filling in the gaps.
The Light Aircraft Scholarship is primarily done at Tayside Aviation, however a few go to Halton.

The Nav Scholarship is ~8 hours on an AEF, either residential or over weekends at a local AEF.

The AEF based FS is ~12 hours as far as I remember (I think that is where the 10/12 hour mix up came from). You can't solo the Tutor as an ATC cadet, so no chance of solo on that course. The course does include basic Nav and aero's though.

UtW;
What you describe is still very possible. I managed to complete my PPL through a scholarship which paid for the whole course, all done before I got my driving license.

ASI

Tayside Aviation were awarded the contract for the RAF scholarship for the next 3 years at the end of last year. It's 12 hours in DA20 Katanas i.e. to solo standard or beyond if you have some previous experience.

I completed the RAF flying scholarship the year before it stopped. It was contracted out to a number of flying schools - My friend and I completed at tayside aviation (now tayflite) - whilst another friend completed in uk mainland. The scholarship was for 12hrs. The RAF were considering down sizing costs by introdcing microlight flying scholarship, but decided against and stopped the scolarship.

Only other RAF subsidised flying for non military is the University Air Squadrons, but you need to apply and have interest in joining.

The ATC do not do a Flying scholarship - but do puch you towards Air League Scholarships.

Through the ATC you can complete a Gliding Scholarship and progress(GS), (AGT1), (AGT2), (G2), (G1), (C-CAT) and up to A-CAT 2*.
Also the Air Cadet Navigation scheme is available, but dificult to get I believe.

AEF - is Air Experience Flying - not a scholarship.

They do, it is the Air Cadet Flying Scholarship, which is done on Microlights, Light (Civil) Aircraft or on an Air Experience Flight (An AEF) as mentioned in the above posts.

ASI

Apologies if I am wrong, but never heard of it when I was a cadet, only Flying Scholarship was through the RAF, but you get wings with ATC to go on your uniform.

Power Up - it's all changed in the last 18 months, as Lizzy 2 decided she wasn't getting enough people joining her Air Force following on from Flying Scholarships, hence the number of hours has been reduced (again), the number of scholarships on offer has been reduced (again) and the RAF funding for them has been reduced (again). Hence the reason why there's a fair amount of confusion amongst those in the know (and TZ and myself are both serving officers with Air Cadet Sqns!!).

Very, Very sorry to hear that RAF Flying Scholarships are no longer. When I was 18 they were for a full PPL course and they were looked on not just as a way of interesting kids in the RAF as a career but also as character building and as encouraging youth to get on with something useful in their lives.

I knew two or three who went on to become commercial pilots. My last couple of years at school there were about eight or nine pilots in the school as a result of flying scholarships. I was failed for one because I am colour blind but my parents were brave enough to put up the money and I got a licence anyway.

I have been outstandingly lucky in my life experiences but I still remember the five weeks spent learning to fly at Kidlington with a group of scholarship recipients as a wonderful experience and a very essential part of growing up. Somehow there is something very special about being 18 and being put in charge of a plane.

N.B. My previous post. I was instructing on them until two months ago.
They had been stopped two years ago but will be going for at least 3 years. Tayside Aviation has the contract. (Tayflite is a separate, unconnected, organisation teaching ME IR at Perth).

Funny how things change, interesting to see how it does though.
I did my scholarship at perth, fantastic experience, and the weather (surprisingly) was great - unfortunately all the females on scholarships were based at Dundee.

When I applied for the scholarship, the RAF said that I couldn't fly for them as I am slightly short sighted, in the interview I staed that if I cannot fly there, I would find somewhere else (currently going down civvy path) to do it. I week after Cranwell I had a letter congratulating me from the RAF - I had a Flying Scholarship? - no complaints, but bizzare:confused: