Bingo.
Erm what now…
They are both IFT flights and they “both operate in the air”.
You are either incredibly misinformed or grasping at straws.
There is a reason we have to use ATC when operating from RAF stations… that’s because the airspace is usually class D. Therefore requires a traffic service.
You cant ‘transit the zone’ or take off or land without ATC.
I am surprised you havent mentioned this. Having an ATC service is NOT a prerequisite of operating AEF.
Hence why when AEF units in the past have flown to other sites, they have been able to operate on occasion without ATC coverage.
That’s called Class G airspace by the way.
Alternatively there have been AEFs operating on weekends and have previously operated without ATC coverage, as after 1900 on a friday the airspace became class G at promulgated times.
I’m starting to wonder your actual level of involvement and frankly competence to discuss these things.
@Paracetamol you’re just embarrassing yourself with posts like the above that are so factually wrong I don’t know where to start.
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Thanks, but that doesn’t really answer my question as to why they are lower than the aircraft / pilot limits?
There are no cadet crosswind limits and they can fly up to the aircraft limit of 25kts
You’re not exactly showering your side in glory here…
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Here’s another barrier:
Benson has to service the entire south east of England from Kent to Banbury. With 6 aircraft.
And because they didn’t have an OC and couldn’t get any applicants, they decided to stop flying on Sundays to make it more attractive.
So now if you live in London or elsewhere you face a 2.5 hour journey on a weekday there, where the weather is so different you can’t tell when you set off what it will be like when you arrive. And you will probably have to do this on a school day/work day. And it will be the whole day, not just a morning or an afternoon.
Then even if the weather there is good enough and in limits you also have to have correct weather at their back up runway, 25 miles away.
Then you’ve got the attitude of some of the staff there. The environment isn’t really that friendly - you’re sent to a crumbling crew room of 230 sqn, rather than in the UAS specific buildings. You can’t chat to anyone bar the cadets you’re with.
Compare to Upavon VGS which was excellent the time I went. Everyone, staff and cadets included, were allowed to sit in the met briefing and general briefing at the start. You could get involved in operations. Staff were friendly and happy to discuss things with you.
Edit: of course some of the staff at Benson are great! But one of the pilots I met who was quite pointedly rude to me when a cadet from another sqn was sent to him under the 13.3 age limit - im not sure what i could do in that situation, and it was unfortunate, but hardly a deliberate mistake on my part.
Edit again: why this arbitrary 13.3 age limit?
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That’s very reminiscent of my cadet flying days at Leeming. Being treated as second class citizens would have been an improvement.
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Because they’re so stuck in their ways they haven’t updated since we changed our entry requirements?
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Let’s not go there in regards to that whole mess - fortunately in didn’t really affect the Northern LARS Boundaries and there was just as much traffic buzzing around WCO.
That said for large periods of the current restrictions (including atm) North & West LARS have been closed (I assume the only reason East is still open is because of ‘that’ mess).
And that’s a VGS that doesn’t and hasn’t for 12 years, had a hangar. Imagine what it would be like with DIO support 
.
You should probably recommend them for an award or something
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The citation might be a bit difficult, I can’t really write up a good experience from 18 months ago…
But I’m happy to try if you show me where.
You’re telling me you’ll allow a Solo Student (lets say at Tayside on their Heron - comparable to the Tutor) to fly solo circuits/QXC with a 25kt Crosswind - I don’t want to be at an airfield when you sign off that solo sortie!
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I have experience this first hand.
I was on a south coast Squadron, and got up at the crack of sparrows to meet the coach, 6 stops throughout the Wing later we’re on our way for our “afternoon slot” at BEN, only to arrive 20 minutes ahead of time in thick fog…we were asked to “hold on as it was expected to lift” but being midday it wasn’t likely. Within an hour the decision to bin it off was made, and so the return Journey way made, 5+ hours in a coach for the chance to not see a airfield!
on another occasion, we managed to get there and fly but were told “Jersey Squadron are due in and will get priority as they need to catch their flight home” - sure enough an hour or so later a White Fleet minibus/taxi turns up, the chosen few were pushed through the system, all flew and back in their transport back to Heathrow to get home!!
it is remarkable that the single station is responsible for such a large area, and one of the, if not the highest population density areas in the Corps (outside of London)
That’s at odds with the concept of vicarious liability. Its unlikely that RAFAC would get away with an assumed abrogation of responsibility for the actions of its CFAV’s.
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Not sure of your point - what have Tayside limits go to do with AEF tutor operations?
Interesting as comments are about AEF, maybe we can get back to the lack of gliding, possible solutions, & the associated survey?
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Survey is about aerospace activities widely / generally not just gliding. This is to tie in with the move to be the RAF Aerospace Cadets.
What…
They are not about to spend millions rebranding. Now we KNOW you are a troll.
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[looks on calendar]
Nope, its not April 1st so you’re a tad premature.
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