No shared helmets, for one.
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I am CFI of an ATO offering commercial training and DTO doing PPL courses. We have had to put in lots of measures in the school of course, and in the aircraft face masks. The plastic things from Tecnam need to be worn with a face mask covering the mouth and nose (read the small print), they would offer some protection from direct spray. The aircraft go into a Cleaning bay after flight and are āfoggedā with a sanitising product. Headsets are also put into a cleaning bin and sanitised.
We are as safe as we can be in these circumstances.
A number of integrated schools are using FI / Student bubbles where one FI deals only with the same 3 or 4 students and the students are in their own bubble in accommodation.
As someone who was present at a fatal cadet gliding accident 25 years ago I can understand the Over cautious attitude but risk is a fact of life.
I was also previously CFS approved to teach Flying Scholarships when I was a QFI at Cranfield, that system worked well before Tayside became the centre of the known world, maybe RAFAC should reinvent the wheel and go back to the way it was with cadets sent to local schools so accommodation is not required
Iāve seen lots of similar processās and requirements from local ATOās. Speaking to the instructors they say they feel the discomfort and distraction of wearing mask and visor is more dangerous than the risk of Covid.
This is of course anecdotal and no proper research / study has been done, it is just their opinion.
If commercial flying schools are taking what are pretty onerous measures to keep flying I can see why cadet flying is still a no go.
Until things calm down and we start to lift mask wearing etc we wonāt be seeing any cadet flying I shouldnāt have thought.
Never heard of sanitisation?
They should try wearing a helmetā¦
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Well I had to wear a helmet and oxygen mask from day one of my RAF Basic Flying Training and that is worse than a fabric or cloth face mask - so far no students have complained
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OK - thatās good for you, but weāre talking about civvie street PPLās and FIās, who for many this will be the first time theyāve worn more headgear than a headset and Sun cap.
Students likely wonāt complain, theyāll just be glad to be up in the air.
Instructors flying multiple hours a day, and more regularly than students is a different matter.
Like I say, only anecdotal.
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As I posted earlier in the thread, I too am wearing the Tecnam face shields and at my ATO it is a mixed opinion regarding these face shields and the distractions it provides.
We however are only asking the instructors to wear the facemask/shield as we donāt want the student to suffer an additional distraction whilst they are already engaged with learning a new skill.
I myself am finding no major distractions whilst wearing the face shields, Sure itās tough on your peripheral vision, but i wear glasses whilst flying anyway so have to move my head to perform a āproperā lookout regardless. (Not to say that my colleagues donāt perform adequate lookouts).
Not having flown out of Tayside, I would assume that as itās a Civvie School, theyāre not wearing the flying helmet, if not, surely they would be able to wear the Tecnam Face mask or similar.
Iāll re-ask the question that has so far been unanswered.
Why did the MOD change its mind at the last minute?
MOD: Tayside, weād like you to implement this list of changes to enable you to run ACPS courses again.
TAYSIDE: Weāve implemented the changes and weāre all ready to go! In fact, weāre teaching civvy students right now!
MOD: Splendid. Release the JIās to the cadets and make sure they all get (expensive) medicals.
TAYSIDE: Happy to report that the JIās have been released and the cadets are now excitedly having their medicals.
MOD: Splendid. Now that theyāre all excited and spent a load of money on the medicals, weād like you to cancel their course.
I wonder if the MOD sections above were actually RAFAC and only the last one was MOD
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Iām trying to find out what the āofficialā status is for ACPS / ACAEFC schemes & applications for 2021 (normally to be submitted by minimum of end of year - the ACTOs say "āSelection is made throughout the year but is completed by the end of January for courses to be flown in the next financial year.ā).
It will be a pointless exercise to āre-openā them at short notice & expect to get a good range of candidates (I appreciate that ACAEFC = need to get back to Tutor flying). Equally, probably not feasible to run local selection days either under the current restrictions. However, some flying clubs / BGA centres are running student-based flying with appropriate Covid19 protocols - I would hope that Tayside Aviation can be āre-openedā for ACPS, they are certainly continuing with instruction.
Also trying to find out what might be happening with Air League Flying Scholarships (+ their other types) - normally open up for applications in Nov (2020 awards have been extended for completion until May 2020).
RAFA Flying Scholarships = a ānoā for the time being, from the organiser today:
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 developments and uncertainty we have taken the difficult decision to pause the flying scholarship programme for the foreseeable future.
We appreciate this will be very disappointing news, however, safety is paramount.
Iāll be in touch with future updates.
My Wg have been told not to send scholarship applications yet; they will be requested if needed. Youād be lucky to find any good info regarding 2021 scholarships considering they still donāt know whatās happening with 2020 ones. They donāt know if itās going to be ācarriedā into next year or not.
Tayside are ready and willing to go with it, the only problem is accommodation.
Zip from within our wg; it needs an up-date to all sqns.
Accommodation - not an insurmountable obstacle (when Jockland sorts out what it is doing - new tier system from today!), or, RAFAC might have to move away from one trg centre (heresy!) & use multiple providers - especially if it means some candidates could attend but live at home. Yes, you would lose out of the social / group learning aspects, but at least that might provide better flexibility / availability.
Accommodation lies squarely with the MOD. Cadets on ACPS were meant to be in single rooms in the Hilton but the MOD blanket policy says no.
The one that follows NYA guidance, who say No until Yellow
"Ah Cadet Bloggs, I have some good news and some bad news for you!
Now, unfortunately, we have had to cancel your ACPS. Not because the flying school is unsafe, its because we think youāll be at too greater risk in a hotel room, on your own, in an area that has a low infection rate.
The good news is that you can now go back to face-to-face activity at your squadron. We know its in a high risk area with far more cases than Dundee, but we consider it far safer for you to be there, in a bubble of 15, mixing with people who also have a school bubble, family bubble, sports team bubble etc.
So, rather than 2 weeks flying, culminating in a solo flight and award of your gold wings, you can now look forward to getting back into the swing of things on squadron with 4 nights of drill and uniform inspections instead. Arenāt you lucky Cadet Bloggs?"
And that, is the bottom line on this whole debacle!
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Minor amendment to ACTO34 for those taking part in any civvie flying:
Non-RAFAC Flying Scholarships
Cadets who have completed a single solo sortie through self-funded tuition or scholarship provided by external organisation may apply and be considered for issue of RAFAC Civilian Ā© Wings. Applications via email should be forwarded to, and will be considered by, appropriate Regional Aviation Officers (RAvnO) or CCF (RAF) Senior Aviation Officers. Evidence of a solo sortie will be required with the application.
Any cadet achieving a Light Aircraft Pilots Licence (LAPL), National Private Pilotās Licence (NPPL) or EASA Private Pilotās Licence (PPL) are entitled to wear the RAF Air Cadets Ā© Wing, subject to confirmation of qualification to the appropriate RAvnO or CCF (RAF) Senior Aviation Officers.
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Great news for cadetsā¦ Just need to extend it to staff too 
Why?
Thereās enough staff walking around with a dead moth on their jumper who havenāt been near an aircraft in years 
What next? Staff wearing Bronze DofE or shooting badges 
Are thereā¦?
Not in my wing or even region.
Cant think of a single one actually!
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