We have a cadet who has gained Civilian Wings having privately funded a Private Pilot Lisense , Another cadet in a nearby wing gained the same wings for flying one solo in a civilian glider.
Can anyone explain why there’s a difference - it must be more difficult to get a license then to do one solo flight ?
You only need to fly solo in either aircraft is my understanding. @tmmorris authorised C Wings for one of my cadets after a first solo flight in a plane as part of the PPL course.
Yep awarded for first solo in a civilian powered aircraft or glider = wings
I’ve had a look at the ATCOs
Individuals who have completed civilian flying scholarships to solo standard may be awarded the RAF Air Cadets Civilian © Wing in recognition of their efforts. SO2 CAPE, HQ 2FTS will consider each case on its merits. As these particular scholarships are provided by non-public funds, cadets are responsible for the cost of travel between their home and the flying school and will not be eligible for the issue of a travel warrant.
Any cadet achieving a Light Aircraft Pilots Licence (LAPL), National Private Pilot’s Licence (NPPL) or EASA Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) will be entitled to wear the RAF Air Cadets © Wing, subject to confirmation of qualification to SO2 CAPE, 2FTS.
So it would seem that if solo is gained through scholarship then C Wings are permitted, if gained through bank of mum and dad then they have to wait for license .
So it seems
Interesting. Pretty sure I had one awarded after solo, not either of the PPLs. Unless that was updated at some point?
What if it’s a scholarship from the bank of mum and dad?
I would imagine that’s just a badly worded regulation.
If you’ve solo’d in an aircraft I’d submit an application to your Wing Aviation Officer with a scan of the logbook showing the solo entry.
Not true; the regulation hasn’t been updated but 2FTS (who actually authorise the wings badge) have confirmed it is for first solo however funded, and whether glider or powered.
I haven’t yet tested this theory but I believe it would also apply if they did first solo in a helicopter. As @Farmerdan says your RAvnO or, for CCF, I will check the application and forward to 2FTS for confirmation and I’ve not had one turned down yet.
A cadet can qualify for “C” wings if they have gone solo in a civilian glider at the age of 14 (which is currently the minimum age).
Thanks y’all - Hope then that the ACTO might be updated, even if it maybe approved by HQAC if WIng won’t progress as the paperwork says no cadets will miss out on a set of wings sported by others
You can get your C-Wings after flying solo in a Powered Aircraft also.
But not at the age of 14.
I’ve just double checked the caa website which confirms that the minimum age for solo flight in a powered aircraft is 16. (14 for a glider.)
You assume it happened in the UK 
(Maksim has a handy link to a BBC news site in his profile)
With the decline in flying in the ATC, I was informed by my Adj and Sgt, having just attended a Wing( Essex) conference, flying and shooting is now , virtually non existent.
As a former cadet (now CI) of the 1970s , I’m at a total loss for words as to how did it come to this? ( I thought we had it bad then!)
Apart from the lack of flying , we seem to have become so ‘risk adverse’ that we can no longer do very much at all!
We have problems with teaching Field Craft , because of the very many restrictions, and now we are told those restrictions, on where we can do it, have been tightened even more; we have access to our own training area 4 miles away, and that’s where the problems start.
If you are a squadron lucky enough to be sharing with the ACF , shooting will not be a problem.
If you are lucky enough to be on , or near a base likewise , for flying, shooting and Field Craft. For the rest of us , we may as well send them all off to Scouts!
Our only saving grace is we concentrate , very hard , on leadership, service and citizenship and AT, ,as a result we have former cadets achieving great things ( which I believe Scouts don’t do)
we can boast having shaped former cadets ,and glider scholars, are now aircraft engineers and self funded PPL’s
; one an aerobatic trophy winner.
We promise our new recruits , Flying and Shooting , a promise that we have had to break so many times now I can’t count!
I have cadets , after 4 years service, have never seen a rifle , or range, never mind a glider .
When is this going to change?
Never.
It’s all stems from the health & safety regs tightening, serious lack of funding but also people being un able to follow the simpler rules hence the tightening of trust on these activities.
I hear what you are saying, but it’s killing us!
It’s not just you dont worry