Yes and no. They might not be active every week, but the weeks they are active, they’re more intense.
Mine had full flying programmes for 4 weeks during the summer, with 3/4 QFIs flying 5 students a day, and each of those flights could be an hour long.
At the risk of taking the thread down a cul de sac, the issue of the Tutor replacement is well made. My limited understanding of the RAF budgetary / planning system is that while a business case will need to be made for a replacement ( and go through a number of filter stages before, if approved, being taken into core funding) the first thing to confirm will be the need. While the RAFAC continue to advertise gliding and powered flying as part of the air cadet experience there can be no doubts that this offering will not play the prominent part that it has done in the past.
Indeed, a statement in the House of Commons in Dec 2017:
made the following point:
" Previously, the “Air” in Air Cadet has largely been associated with gliding, flying scholarship and air experience activity. In 2017 – and as we look to the future – this places insufficient recognition on broader aviation activities offered alongside flying,…"
I suggest, therefore, that the direction of travel has been set and that unless we see an about face the cancellations will grow in number as the Tutor fleet ages and serviceability rates decline.
What’s the Viking OSD currently estimated to be? A one stop shop replacement for both (a motor glider similar to the Canadian air cadets) would be the better solution.
interesting you suggest that…
page 13 (or para 30) of the document shared on the link below indicates just that as one of 7 options considered in December 2012
(incidentally it does also indicate a OSD for the Viking as Mar2016 page 36)
interestingly page 12 of the link indicates £2.7 million for all the VGS operations…para 29
Just received this from our Wing Aviation Officer…
“From 1st August 2019, until perhaps mid summer 2020, military and civilian ATC personnel levels at RAF Wittering will be unable to sustain the current 6 day operations tempo.”
No more weekend flying at Wittering!! Not 5AEFs fault, just massive contractual ineptitude from MoD/RAF. Hope nothing happens on a weekend that needs runways!
Did they specify that it was definitely Saturday that will be the day they drop?
They already don’t fly Sunday’s
Yes!!
In that area there is numerous to chose from, Waddington to the north east to the west Coventry Birmingham EMA and south Luton. All with far better fire and rescue cover than Wittering.
Just wait until Serco take over fire cover in the near future.
I would say the A1 would have better fire cover.
Can we sack all the idiots, uniformed and CS throbbers, who have managed to mismanage this fiasco so expertly, the move from Wyton and ever since. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if many have been promoted to positions where they can cause more havoc.
Again the cadets suffer due to some paper shufflers not being able to do their job.