Hopefully this is the start of actually training the volunteers of the Air Cadets how to deliver aviation training. I can’t think of any other course that actually teaches CFAVs on sqns/sections how to deliver aviation training. I think it will also increase the amount of flight sims available on units, increasing the amount of aviation activity we can run. It’s not actual flying, but it’s still a positive move.
I’m not convinced of the need for progression at AEFs, but having some idea of what they’re doing will mean the cadets will get more from a flight. The less time explaining what way to move the stick to turn, the more time spent actually flying.
I seem to recall there being an element of progression about 10 years ago on AEFs- as I recall it was a 5 flight thing which gave you fundamentals needed for progression to ACPS/ACNS, but it wasn’t mandatory. After your 5th flight it was just expereince of being in the air.
Cool, So I’m thinking we should really take this approach for all of the first class subjects.
We already do it for radio, so we should have a BEL or ML on each sqn to assess the IET and Map Reading. A DI on each sqn to assess the Drill and Uniform. . . etc etc
We should not need any quals to teach the First Class Cadet / Blue Badge syllabus, so that all CFAV on every squadron, can teach the basic skills required to go away to camps/courses. If cadets then would like to gain more advanced/in depth knowledge/skill, then they can travel to locations with those CFAV with more qualifications/skills in those topics, if their unit doesn’t have them.
When I did my Blue Synthetic syllabus ‘train the trainer’ course at Cranwell a few months back, I was told that the trainers should be CFAV or MOI Staff Cadets who are aviation SME’s on squadron. This was one of the concessions made to 2 FTS to allow PTT to be switched from VGS to sqns.
Yesterday, RAFAC and C&E region made posts on Facebook refering to how 866 (Immingham) Squadron now have a 16 year old cadet cpl qualified and teaching on squadron.
I wonder how 2 FTS will see this lowering of the threshold?
Is it just me, or has my Wing Dep Av Officer got this wrong?
“There remains several squadrons in [the wing] with no staff qualified to deliver the synthetic element of the new Blue Wings Flying Operations syllabus, which is a fundamental part of First Class.”
The synthetic part is only for the Blue Wings, not First class.
He seems to have a yellow lanyard so is an instructor cadet… and he clearly loves his aviation, so would likely deliver a better lesson than an uninterested CFAV.
I’ll look into this, because an insistence on Staff Cadets would disadvantage the CCF as we don’t have them. Our over-18 cadets are just cadets. So a CCF Instructor Cadet aged 18 would be unable to instruct for this, if that’s true. I think it’s probably just bad wording.
Actually I’ve seen that Cdt Cpl teach the syllabus myself, he’s a keen lad and the cadets he teaches seem to take more away from it than from some CFAVs. In my opinion instructors that the cadets find engaging and learn from are what we should aim for, be them cadet ranks or CFAV🤔
