I volunteered with the ACF when I was a student. Straight into uniform with pay (as it was still called then) and expenses: whereas my only option with the ATC would’ve been cadet (paying subs, covering own expenses, etc.)
Was it not in operations that SAC Gunners could command a section without NCO rank, something which the army couldn’t get their heads around, so that’s why L/Cpl was introduced for the Regiment only.
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That’s what I heard, and also to remove any ambiguity around who the senior-SAC was.
This is from pprune from some years ag0 regarding the Compassionate flights, made I chuckle, well done Captain.
I can only remember 1 occasion where someone got annoyed because of a comp A.
We had just go all 4 running when we were informed a Puma was inbound with a comp A on board. The Puma was 60 minutes out so we shut down and waited. After explaining to the pax what was going on, everyone (except an army colonel) settled down for the duration. The col. in question started threatening all sorts to try to make us depart on schedule, even threatening to call 2 and 3 stars in London. The captain was an old hand, and his reply is one I’ll never forget.
“You can call God for all I care, because we aren’t going anywhere until that guy is on-board. If you want to be aboard when we do leave, then I suggest you sit down and shut the **** up, Sir.”
The col. never did make that phone call!
Or in other words don’t confuse your rank with my authority.
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This. Most of the CWOs (and Staff cadets more broadly) nearby are either uni students that are on supernumerary at uni, and volunteer at home during breaks. A couple more are degree apprentices or similar that have moved or stayed over here to work and study full-time, volunteering with ATC on top of that. The remainder are upper-6th’s that have just turned 18 and aren’t at that stage yet. I don’t think calling em ‘peter pan’ is fair, at least for the vast majority of them.
And yes, the emphasis here is “volunteer”. Beyond the occasional shooting weekend most of these CWOs don’t get tonnes out of their ‘cadet’ experience anymore, in all practical purposes they are volunteering as staff, much as HQAC and Special K neglect to acknowledge it. That’s why locally we don’t charge them subs (CivCom subsidy), and where necessary we’d consider any fair and realistic expenses through the civ com.
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With you on the finding suitable Cpls. Could L/Cpl be used almost as an acting Corporal rank, by reviewing your cadets (not sure on your size of sqn) you had 3 that were ticking some boxes promote them 3 to L/Cpl and monitor them for 3-6 months if any stand out, promote again to Cpl?
Just an idea but not sure if needed or not in ATC however if we are to be aligned with the RAFAC one policy we should have the same cadet rank structure as a bare minimum!
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We are doing more stuff with the ACF, albeit small steps. L/Cpl would help there, but I’m not against giving my potential Cpls AS1/SAC badges to mess with their heads.
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Go the whole hog and give them junior tech
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My previous response to this was a bit flippant, my apologies. The benefit is to more accurately reflect the parent service’s rank structure (if we RAFAC doesn’t accurately follow the EAF rank structure, why use RAF ranks at all?) and to achieve parity across RAFAC by eliminating CCF only ranks and dated ATC classification titles with a structure common to both that reflects the modern RAF.
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We joked at my Squadron letting the academic Cadet NCOs wear their chevrons “upside down” as the RAF Technicians used to! Theoretically works physically until FS…
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Sir I like the cut of your jib
Not least because IIRC it is a redundant rank so ideal for us (like the WO2 being used for CWO)
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Chinos & polos instead of No2 dress then?
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What units have you been working with? I’d love to work in chinos and polo shirts.
Computery stuff
From what I’ve heard, I doubt it’s chinos and polo shirts.
We could compromise & merge the ranks & call it “Junior Corporal” so it’s the same rank insignia but has RAF specific terminology separate from the army.
Oh hold on…….
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Tweaked that for you… 
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Aside from LCpl, I’m still waiting to hear about the upcoming Staff Cadet and CWO changes that should have been out about a month ago. Wouldn’t be shocked if the CWO minimum age dropped in line with ACF and CCF(RAF).
On national camps particularly, I always found it weird that a 17yo CCF(RAF) CWO could overrule a 17 year old ATC FS. Same with CCF LCpls overruling ATC Cdts on the same basis.
Yes, I know not all CCFs are in private schools, but it does slightly reek of “one rule for thee, 'tother for me” and doesn’t do much to foster the #OneRAFAC camaraderie that seems to be so deeply craved by some.
In both these examples you have a higher rank overruling the lower rank.
So can’t really see the issue
Now 17year old CCF CWO. Over-rulling a 19 year old ATC cdt FS would feel odd but again rank is (meant to be) independent of age so don’t really understand the weirdness… 
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It’s more the inequality of opportunity in my opinion. If we want OneRAFAC I would assume all cadets should all be working under the same system. Not sure it’s entirely right for two hypothetically equally capable individuals to be at different ranks at the same age, for no other reason than one’s CCF and the other is ATC.
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