“Progressive Aviation Trg” will be the way ahead apparently.
Familiarisation cse on PTT, then Blue wings (more PTT & experience “a” flight), Bronze wings (must have completed Blue), Silver wings (must have completed Bronze, format = similar to “current” Gliding Scholarship), & finally Gold wings (must have completed solo glider flight, format similar to existing Advanced Gliding Trg cse, AGT).
Familiarisation cse on PTT, then Blue wings (more PTT & experience
"a" flight), Bronze wings (must have completed Blue), Silver wings (must
have completed Bronze, format = similar to “current” Gliding
Scholarship), & finally Gold wings (must have completed solo glider
flight, format similar to existing Advanced Gliding Trg cse, AGT).
It’s relative though - take a look at the Cambs/Lincs area (ie, Wittering/Cranwell - Barkston when open again) and you have upwards of 30-35 Tutors all sharing the same airspace during weekdays. It’s quite busy and covered (mainly) by 2 ATC units (and with King Airs operating too), but even there you can see that with 2-2.5 consoles per station manned a decent service can be provided to 12-15 aircraft at one time - which no UAS/AEF combo really gets close to at the moment.
Decent airspace management (both with ATC services and physical division of airspace) mitigates the risk really quite well (the five or six sites I’ve operated from use sector systems). Obviously by the time these changes take place, and the EFT “Tutor fleet” is dispersed into 6FTS project Marshall (new military ATC provision) will probably be rearing its head and may lead to better - or worse - availability of radar services.
I read the briefing note sent out by OC 2FTS the other day printed it off and took it into my squadron and firstly ran it by my NCO team.Some of whom have been in long enough to actually have done some gliding.They werent exactly doing cartwheels over what is proposed.I have to say when I read it it came across as corporate spin at best and an insult at worst.Ive just recruited a number of new cadets and I wonder whether they will even see gliding in their career span.
Is there a BGA facility near you? They would be pleased to assist (now that ACTO35 has - after a lengthy battle - been amended to allow such gliding) - but of course, at a cost.
No real change to the situation over the last 2 yrs. The lack of information flow, inability to provide back-up gliding using BGA options, etc, has been (to be polite) very sub-optimal.
Looking at planning options, I would love to hear what OC3FTS can say about provision of pilots for the new/expanded AEFs…
As for AEFs, with the known shortage in some areas I hope there will be some sensible planning and consultation as to the new locations. One of those suggested has a reasonable cadre of aircrew in the area, as for the other it remains to be seen. The good news is that by the time of the changes there will be more aeroplanes available, 6FTS should be free of its Tutor brother 3FTS which should relieve some of the regulatory overlap there is now.
There is more grist for the mill - It looks like MOD Weathersfield may well be sold off by 2020, thereby making 614 VGS (currently a survivor of the cull) homeless…
This came out in a Parliamentary statement yesterday as part of the lastest round of MOD site disposals.
Sadly as an MOD site in the South East it was always going to be vulnerable; the airfield estate obviously particularly so. Prime soul-less village territory to sell to the big developers.
This re affirms my earlier accusations that a great deal of this awful mess is politically driven. The same reasons the CCF expansion is continuing larger and faster but with no real understanding where the funding beyond 2 years is coming from.
The planning/consultation so far does not fill me with optimism about this. Likewise, more aircraft availability (eventually) = even more pilots required.
1st point - I agree, although rumours of an AEF in NI could be interesting. However, depending on what the criteria are for Vigilant instructors to convert, there may well be a relaxation of the selectin criteria to allow a greater range of people to apply.
Aircraft availability: it depends - it’ll probably only mean an extra 2-3 aircraft per site/AEF.
There has been a small reduction in the minimum requirement for AEF pilots. I can’t remember the exact requirements as I’m not in the office today but it is a significant reduction.
Not enough to let anyone in but iirc you need to have a minimum of 500hrs and a CPL.
Oh and ^FTS has been split from 3FTS for almost a year.
I would imagine most of the additional 115’s will come to the UAS’s and AEF’s when EFT upgrade to the 120 which will be in the next couple of years.
Pilot recruitment is an issue at most sites however, those in Bomber Command counties don’t struggle due to the amount of retired pilots in the area plus those still serving who are based locally. Those AEF’s which are further afield do struggle as they rely on ex military airline pilots who are slaves to their roster.
They all (well, almost all) will come eventually (my almost is assuming the Army and RN will still insist on “grading”) - the two year assumption remains to be seen. I can see Tutor EFT extending a little longer than expected due to the slight delay in MFTS and the rather large demand for the “two-winged master race” in SDSR15. What it should mean though is the Cranwell and Wittering based UAS/AEFs will no longer have to worry about a pecking order for aeroplanes.
SIR – Contrary to Sir Christopher Coville’s assertion (Letters, March 27), the grounding of the air cadet glider fleet was brought about entirely as a result of cost considerations.
The keeping of maintenance records over the past two decades fell far short of the standards required by the new (and inexperienced) Military Aviation Authority. This lack of adequate record-keeping was most assuredly caused by cost savings in the past. Identical aircraft in civil use continue to fly quite safely under civil maintenance requirements.
I would also challenge the assertion that there have been “extensive consultations between senior officers and the volunteer gliding community”. As far as I am aware, there has been very little consultation with anyone, with most information coming from unofficial internet forums.
The increased power flying opportunities that Sir Christopher refers to cannot replace air cadet gliding, where cadets are taught up to solo standard.
Verdun Luck
Former British Airways captain
High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
I am writing to inform you that the above application has now been determined and it has been REFUSED.
I appreciate that in some instances this decision may not be in accordance with the views you have expressed. However, your representations were an important part of the determination process and I thank you for taking the time to comment. The reasons for the decision are contained in the Case Officer’s report and decision notice which may be accessed shortly via the website.
