https://www.instagram.com/p/CoAARcNtJqO/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Looks like we definitely can use Tayside for flying opportunities, not just scholarships!
Perfect. I’ll submit a mileage claim from southern England to Dundee, plus VA, plus accommodation and messing just so we have a chance of getting someone airborne.
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Please do. Make sure you are present when the request is reviewed, with a video camera
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I think that’s Flying Aces again?
Why is that ?
Anyone know ?
I’m sure I’ve heard of flying schools inEngland and Wales…
Spotted within the IBN regarding CBAT opportunities;
“Please be aware that undertaking CBAT is likely to become a requirement for selection to ACPS, in future years.”
Another way to reduce how many people even think about applying, the need to spend a day at Cranwell will be massively opportunity-limiting.
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And they’re prioritising people who meet the CBAT pilot standard. I would take a guess pilot standard will be the requirement they set in the future…
Now… If they make it forward compatible, and the RAF gives credit for this in selection, then if I squint I can just about see how this makes sense.
But. The RAF will never go for that, they are bending over backwards to give everyone an equal chance at selection. And they don’t want pilot candidates who may already have bad habits they have to retrain.
So no. Can’t see this helping.
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So when we were black and white and marched fast…
At 6th form you could apply for ‘Tests in Advance’ (todays CBAT) to see if you had the chance of getting through.
On application I was told ‘You are an Air Cadet so apply for a Flying Scholarship - same tests but you get here quicker’. So I applied, did the tests and interviews at OASC Biggin Hill and 6 weeks later got my dates for a scholarship
It sort of makes sense - if they are valid for 3 years then can be used for UAS application, Flying Scholarship, and any number of other things the RAF deem them suitable for.
At least OASC is now a bit more central at Cranwell and not stuck in the South East as it was.
Yep, did exactly the same - although had also done the “tests in advance” - got a scholarship too. 
Bit of a trek from the Isle of Wight to Biggin though…
Ahhh Biggin Hill, flown through there a few times in the past.Much preferred Northolt and the pilot with a box of chocolate bars to ‘bribe’ the fire crews to assist us when we returned.
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Back in the day a couple of my mates and cadets I knew after did their FS at one of 3 local flying schools all within 25 miles of where we are, as did all the other local . It worked for years and was one of those things that didn’t need to change, except for the sake of it.
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My glimmer of hope is that it makes the ACPS more worthwhile in terms of funding from a recruitment point of view.
‘Here’s an 18 year old with five years cadet experience, master cadet, senior NCO. They’ve passed CBAT with a score of 140, and have passed an aircrew medical. We’d like to give them a scholarship to keep their interest in the RAF as a career before they go to uni as we think they’d be a good fit for a UAS’.
Given the cost of one scholarship is about 0.1% of the cost of training an F35 pilot, it seems an absolute no brainer to fund them.
Not saying that that’s exactly the line it would take but you see my logic I hope. Yes I included a bit about the medical, arguably not unrealistic. If it needs CBAT it’s pivoted massively towards direct recruitment so seems a logical addition.
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The medical is basically the same for the civil sector as well.
Southampton for me, easy peasy for travel.
I would hope so too, but having seen too many other examples where the “joined up writing” hasn’t connected the dots, I’m not holding my breath.
Its a real shame that, for all Tony’s interests and preaching of “inclusion”, the CBAT scores could potentially rule out a number of cadets who would have been eligible for ACPS prior to this moment…
Would like to see whether there’s any mention of Reasonable Adjustments in the policy document which underpin the IBN…
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Questions:
Didn’t they offer CBAT slots last year and only a handful of cadets, (nothing like the 160 places they are offering) went?
Will the extremely challenging pilot pass score of 112 apply to cadets?
Will there be 160 over 18’s who are ‘graduates from the senior courses offered by RAFAC (eg Junior Leaders;Qualified Aerospace Instructors’ Course; Gliding Scholarships and Flight Staff Cadets; orother ‘gold-level’ RAFAC courses’ who will be interested in a CBAT?
If it does become a requirement for ACPS selection, can Cranwell handle the hundreds of applicants who apply for ACPS every year?
What will be the cost of the hundreds of extra rail warrants?
If you have to be over 18 to take the CBAT, how old will a cadet be by the time they have passed the other selection stages and been allocated an ACPS course?
Does it run the risk of cadets who fail the CBAT, bailing out early, because they realise they have no chance of becoming a pilot?
Timing is everything with a CBAT test. Would you risk taking a test, failing a test and excluding yourself from a resit for 12 months?
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the problem is Tony likes to talk inclusivity, opportunities for all etc but then gets scuppered by safeguarding, duty of care etc
So for all the talk of opening up opportunities we are actually doing the reverse and shutting down opportunities.
If you were born early enough in the academic year you can make the most of that last year at 6th form and being 18 before leaving for uni.
If your birthday is in 2nd half of year you have no chance.
(assumption that majority of 6th form leavers go to uni - I have no idea on the number of staff cadets in the org who have finished college and not left for uni but not sure it is a massive number)
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The whole point of ACPS is for those with an “active interest and passion” for aviation and flying. If the requirement is to have all the knowledge before you go then you might as well just go with a civvy flying school and call it a day, it’s also thinking about costs on both the applicant and RAFAC, like you said extra rail warrants for RAFAC however if they aren’t able to access these opportunities easily, thats just limiting the whole accessing opportunities thing HQ RAFAC is currently botching.