To an extent, so was the inability to fly some of the ACPS cadets. I wouldn’t hold my breath on them doing anything.
That’s why I “brought in” a House of Lords contact - this is no longer an “internal” matter.
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Someone has FoI’d it!
Plus there is an earlier one as well
I can guarantee that this problem will be given to same sort of time, priority and resources as has been given to the BTEC problem!
The second FoI has been mentioned in this thread earlier - I suspect that the numbers (170) relate to knock-on from Covid, & that 130-150 ACPS places per yr is more of the norm?
However, I did quote them in my reply to 2FTS. I planned on 40 cadets who might age out from say 150 overall placements; I didn’t take into account a bias based on School Year leaving age (Jul / Aug) & that for the overall age group (18 - 20), one third (20 yrs old) are in the “danger zone,” so the effective number of cadets affected could be higher (50 or more?).
- Cost of 12 hrs flight time (dual / solo) - C152 @ £200 hr - 10% discount for bulk = £180 x 12 = £2160.
- Accommodation - full board @ £100 / night for 14 nights = £1400
- Ancillary (unknown) costs / transport for cadet to attend = £440
- Total = £4000
Further quote:
I’m sure that + / - some minor variations, those are reasonable figures to look at the general funding principle. Now assume that 40 cadets will age out this yr, that would equate to a total expense (if bursary type award is made, with accommodation / transport) of £160K. If the accommodation & transport is discounted, then without ancillary (unknown) costs, then that would be £86.4K. Of course, there are no expenses being incurred with ACPS at the moment as the scheme is currently defunct. I haven’t even looked in depth at BGA course / prices, although a typical 5-day course costs in the region of £500 - £750 depending on location (no accommodation / transport). Using a local BGA / CAA-ATO gives huge flexibility to the cadets to choose depending on location.
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A positive reply from the good Baroness to a separate private email that I sent to her with more background information.
EDIT - the Baroness has replied to my RAFAC email (which of course includes 2FTS):
“We need to do all we can to get cadets flying.”
Let’s see how far this will go up the 2FTS food chain… 
Now, an enterprising cadet who is being told by 2FTS that they will age out with no ACPS (or proposed solution) might feel so aggrieved that they could write to their MP for onward transmission to the Secretary of State for Defence… 
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Or parent.
Well, if the cadets are old enough to get on ACPS, they are old enough to vote…
Cynically, an MP is probably going to look at a younger voter (more chance to influence) that the “more senior” voter who is probable entrenched in his / her (their!) point of view & voting preferences.
But, the more the merrier!
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Ideally the young person would be at University and therefore both MP’s could get a letter?
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With their squadron in a third constituency
Well, most likely not the case - otherwise they couldn’t do ACPS anyway…
No so easy to link to “A N Other” MP - normally you must be a constituent - & list your address - otherwise you could claim all sorts of tenuous connections & end up contacting half a dozen MPs!
That said, if a topic is directly linked to a select committee, you can have a pop at them.
For example, if RAFAC could be considered to come under the Defence Select Committee?
- Email: defcom@parliament.uk
- Phone: 020 7219 3113/6168 (General enquiries)
- Address: Defence Committee, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
you could simply list the Squadron’s address.
Dear Sir I am a member of 123 Sqn which sits within your constituency and i write to you…
Hmmm, I would think that for an individual issue, the MP (or more likely from within their team of researchers if any) would bounce it back = contact “your” MP.
For something that affected all the cadets, such as a dangerous road problem adjacent to the building, then that MP would be fair game.
No, but not difficult to throw something together…
Shouldn’t be “standard” as if the MP forwards this up the line, then it soon becomes apparent higher up that other such letters are copy / paste. Outline time in cadets, achievements, rank, volunteering, etc. The personal aspect = very important.
Dear MP,
I am a member of the Air Training Corps (ATC) & I would like to seek your assistance concerning the Air Cadet Pilot Scheme. I am a proud recipient of one of the awards for this scheme (only about 150 such awards are allocated each year) & this should be the pinnacle of my time in the ATC. Sadly, this is not to be the case.
Background - Tayside gone into administration - second tender, won’t honour their bid. New tendering process - - not enough time due ageing out.
2FTS - contact by letter - ageing out - no possibility of achieving the award. Adamant that no external providers can be used - claiming that Military Aviation safety standards / supervision have to be applied, no resources to cross-check / approve.
Possible solutions - after all my time in the ATC, it is sad that no solution has been offered by 2FTS. Proposal of bursary type awards as a quick, but safe option, to use CAA approved training organisations, or even transfer to a gliding scholarship equivalent within ATC or use British Gliding Association facilities.
Conclusion - please can you ask those in the Defence chain to assist in finding a solution as a matter of urgency.
Love & kisses…
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I’d second that. Copy paste letters get sweet Fanny Adams attention from government
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I tried to get two MPs involved when the Wing Commander merged two Squadrons together when I was CWC chair of one of them. All the MP got was a very slippery MoD response which did sweet nothing, she was sandbagged by management.
Shame - but you have to know the enemy - the Home Office tried to do this to detract from our efforts to reduce the impact of some proposed firearms legislation. Hit them back very hard with proof of selective evidence & less than accurate reporting of information.
Well, there’s a very good chance that the first letter to an MP will be fired off tomorrow. 