I’ve had a look (didn’t submit anything), it’s moreorless identical.
But it’s definitely flawed. It, for instance, doesn’t ask whether cadets want more careers information, it just asks them about whether what they get is enough, with no option to say “yes, that’s plenty”.
It’s not about being positive or negative. FWIW, I’ve told my cadets to fill this survey in, and make sure they answer honestly and comprehensively.
Its just that the survey is clearly not about the average cadet experience of flying and gliding, and the email that was sent out bears little resemblance to the actual survey.
The ACPS is a brilliant scheme, as are other scholarships. They are, in my humble opinion, just a very small part of the cadet aerospace experience. And I speak as someone who has had a cadet accepted onto the scheme for three years running.
If 2FTS want to create a ACPS survey, then they can crack on, and I’ll support them 100% of the way. But let’s call a spade a spade.
Given @Drainingtheswamp comments about missed opportunities, I’m just very surprised there is nothing in the survey addressing the AEF experience.
Flying and Gliding for the masses is likely to do more for the organisation, and the aerospace industry as a whole, than specialised courses for the few. And yet the system doesn’t appear to be working for a lot of the end users. So why is this survey not trying to address those issues?
I’ve filled it in but it is a highly flawed survey that looks like it was thrown together in five minutes with no sense check prior to publication. Some of the answers don’t tally with the questions and other questions are missing obvious answers. Overall it was hard to see what information they were actually trying to achieve.
I think that is great they want to get staff and cadet feedback on flying but this survey is really a missed opportunity
It’s either
A. Flawed.
B. Written to generate the responses the author wants.
Will make interesting pie charts.
The last time cadets from my old wing went the cadets had an 8 hour round trip to Ternhill. They had to meet a minibus a 4am and didn’t get home until past 22:30. to top it all the Gliding was canned due to marginal weather. But on a positive note they did get to sit in a glider.
“Air Cadets - Sit in a glider!!!”
“T&Cs apply, may not include actual glider, sitting may be standing, being an air cadet is optional”
I took a straw poll last night, and, as predicted, the only cadets on sqn to complete the survey were those that had been flying.
2FTS are only getting positive replies from cadets!
shouldn’t that be
only getting replies with Cadets with positive experience of going flying??
there is no guarantee the responses will be positive
Exactly, just because a cadet has managed to fly doesn’t mean their response to the survey will be 100% positive and, based on their experience, they may provide some useful feedback in the free text answers. I’m sure it’s that long ago for them now that the initial excitement will have worn off and they will not be looking at the whole experience with rose tinted spectacles.
I know my 2 kids were both mostly negative from what they have told me at least.
Doesn’t mean anything positive will come of it, by which I mean long term commitment from the RAF to a proper, national, easily accessible flying experience for cadets. Not big ticket events which make a good photo op but the bread and butter exciting experience flights and no hint of “progressive” programme as cadets go flying so infrequently, that it is meaningless. Even when I was a cadet we didn’t go enough for something like that to have any sort of meaning.
I’ve looked at the cadet survey, oh well.
Flying if they’ve never been how can they provide anything vaguely constructive (+ve or -ve), about the idea of it.
Similarly scholarships which only ever seem to be for the golden few, who will see it as just another badge, whereas those less well-endowed badge wise could be the ones for whom it would be a starter for the future. The only criteria we should have for cadet scholarships is medical, not how many badges you have. Also apply at 14 fit the PPL age range. I have seen more cadets start their PPL at 14 or so and gone solo on or just after their 16th birthday and have the full ticket a year or so later. I’ve had cadets apply for FS and not get through the sift, when you see the names of those who get them, you would have struggled to get evens if you bet on the outcome.
As for careers not our job. But you can see the attraction of it among the likes of 6 and 2 FTS, as they are failing miserably to deliver their core activity, so careers is a soft touch they can dump on CFAV. IMO cadets want advice on jobs etc speak to the careers teacher or whatever the local authority careers provision is. The last time I looked I’m not a careers advisor.
As for visits etc, I went to Bassingbourn on armed forces careers event for the crack when I was in the 4th or 5th year of secondary and if was a cadet now and trips to aviation firms etc were on offer I’d go for the day out. In fact any trip if it meant a day put of school or now work and not effort required on my part.
@Giminion there is a world of difference between who contributes to surveys and who votes in a democratic event. In a survey you expect to get views from people who have some idea about it or a vested interest, otherwise why not just publish the survey for the whole world to respond to. Also you expect some sort of action (aside from meetings) when responding to a survey, which is has been another area of extreme failure within the sphere of Air Cadet world. We’ve had surveys at work over the years on different things and you see actions from the responses actually actioned and not always zero cost or comfortable. We have a much smaller group than in the Air Cadets, but responses are 80% or higher, because it matters. I know as I’ve been involved in the crunch and analysis.
I’ll tack this on here - email for our region, advertising the post of Region Av O.
Now, I suspect these are old TORs, here is one of them:
f. Explore the delivery of additional opportunities for flying and gliding in non-Service aircraft, iaw ACTO35.
I would have thought those TOR’s are just a copy and paste job.
It’s been made pretty clear that there will be no revival of ACTO35 so far I think!
Is 3 months too soon to expect an announcement on the survey results?
It’s on ‘pause’…
You mean they didn’t like the answers they were given!
Potentially a game or working out how to present unfavourable data in a more favourable way? 
Is 7 years 2 months too soon?
They have just pushed out another survey to cadets only, but this time with rewritten questions.
Looks like they didn’t get the positive responses they were looking for from the first survey!
Is it not very different?
Only seen social media post saying it’s asking for thoughts on what’s important in air and space subjects, previous one was specifically flying.
Not seen the questions and not pushing crazy jr for info or to do it as he seems to be becoming disengaged 