Confirmed where?
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The only place this has so far been announced: Social Media. Question answered on Facebook
Not taking anything away from the person who answered, as they have at least answered, but doesnât feel like they should be the person answering this question unless ACPS now falls under the remit of the WO RAFAC.
Screenshot for those without Facebook access.
There is cross over here with Changes to over 18s - New IBN for WEF 2024 but I feel that IBN does leave a lot of unanswered questions, combined with the lack of internal comms on ACPS, that could also feature an FAQ element.
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It certainly changes my approach to allocating places on qualification courses - no over 18 cadets now unless there are some spare spots that cannot otherwise be filled with CFAV.
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That WORAFAC response feels like a classic dismissal without acknowledging the very valid point that is being raised.
Lesson for the big cheeses: people need to know that youâve really understood and acknowledged their concerns.
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Yep - which is indicative of the mindset.
Frankly, missing the opportunity to develop your BEST cadets who are suitable and interested in becoming CFAVs by leaving that rare, dangly carrot of ACPS in position is a huge misfire.
What could possibly go wrong by having loads of adults remain cadets solely for the chance of an ACPS placeâŚ
Itâs not like continuing to develop an aviation mindset in your staff is a waste of resourceâŚ
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If you wish to raise an issue with someoneâs post on facebook, raise it with them directly and do not hide behind an anonymous username on here to do so, especially about another volunteer. Itâs pathetic really, and what gives the site a bad name.
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To be fair, I have raised it with her directly and not anonymously. But point taken.
Hereâs a hypotheticalâŚ
Cadet turns 18, applies to be a CFAV.
Turns 19 and decides they preferred being a Cadet.
Could they apply for the ACPS then?
Nope because the application process is one way
I suppose you could have them rejoin with regional commandants permission but I would think that would be unlikely.
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It feels like we should have a middle way for cadets to continue the cadet experience after their 18th birthday but also make a meaningful contribution to their Sqn staff, because they are adults. Oh wait âŚ
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I donât think this is that wrong tbh. You either want to be a cadet with access to cadet activities, or you want to be staff with the responsibilities and access levels that comes with.
As long as the nomination and appointment process is sufficiently early for ACPS, that gives time to make a decision before turning 18.
If not successful, either continue and see how it pans out 12 months later, or donât sweat it and make the choice to switch.
At most itâs 12 months extra as a cadet if unsuccessful both times, but without the additional wait in staff cadet limbo until 20 before making the switch to CFAV.
That is, of course, hinging on the hope they are forward-looking enough with the application timescales.
OK, letâs have at this one next.
This is not poor comms from RAFAC HQ. It was an opportunity to engage with the Cadets directly through a Cadet influencer which I willingly agreed to,
Consider it an appetiser or an amuse bouche ahead of a much more satisfying main course ie the formal detail which will be released imminently.
Some facts.
I committed to restoring the ACPS a few months ago and have 100% stuck to my word. The new system will use RAF Tutors, RAF QFIs, offer several locations across the UK and ensure safeguarding is a core part of the Scheme. Yep, it includes a soloâŚand I donât know how else to say that.
This is Phase 1 which will allow me to assess the effectiveness of the Scheme, safety, scale and wider considerations ie the effect on 6FTSâ other outputs.
Most importantly, our ACPS cadets will be flown in a way which I can personally assure because it is me who has personally accepted the risks involved.
Bit of patience now as the detail is rolled out. Iâll make no more comment on here about it until that has happened.
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What youâve just said here is 100% what should have been added along with this video.
Weâve got staff who donât use social media who will have cadets asking them questions about the new ACPS.
If an email or similar had gone out to everyone saying exactly what youâve just said, youâd have people shouting your praises from the roof tops! What youâve just said is fantastic and instantly answers multiple questions that weâve had.
Communication, or lack there of, is our fundemental problem. Fix communication and many other things fall into place. Fix communication and even the âbadâ things donât end up being quite so bad.
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Donât you get enough email @JoeBloggs?
I have over 300 unread items in my âfocusedâ inbox (not even counting the other one) and when I scan through the ones I havenât read itâs mostly stuff I already knew from elsewhere, duplicates, or stuff that clearly doesnât concern me. Blanket emails are a very poor, not to mention dated, means of communication.
Sir, firstly as many others have said, thank you for engaging on here
One request if we may,(and you dont need to reply on here - but please ensure it isnt glossed over/forgotten about in the full release of the details), as a FI/FE in the real world please can we ensure that there is recognition from the CAA (by way of an update to CAP 2254) to include the ACPS scheme similar to how UAS student pilots can obtain credit towards a LAPL.
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I said email or similar, rather than listing the dozens of different methods we have.
For what itâs worth, I only get a couple of emails a day max generally. We really donât get that much. 12 since Monday. Itâs not excessive.
My point stands, the video led to many questions left unanswered, and we needed something to go with it. What @Cab has just said is a perfect example of what should be going out in terms of communication.
Just be sure to level any comms criticism at me and not elsewhere. My enthusiasm to engage with our Cadet influencers is not a comms failure of the organisation. Patience. The detail is coming.
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Understandable and fair with the additional context, and that enthusiasm and willingness to engage directly with cadets is to be lauded.
But please understand that CFAV are viewing this with the context of years of âask your squadron staff for more informationâ and/or other forms of social media announcements without available documentation or any additional information being provided. If something like the ACPS announcement in the format it was given was the exception and not the rule, then the reaction may be different. Many CFAV have been blindsided multiple times with questions on announcements they havenât seen or simply donât have a details of, made worse when the expectation has already been explicitly set that we would have answers.
With excellent intentions, youâve unwittingly stumbled into a long term problem that has bred cynicism towards the amorphous and ambiguous entity described as âHQACâ through lack of a better descriptor (and I would suggest is better than attempting to find an individual target) and the organisationâs âcomms strategyâ. However, we are not naĂŻve to the fact that any such strategy would involve the collaboration of multiple departments and individuals and therefore isnât simple.
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