In 2023 the BGA had 4 fatalities, 5serious injury and 51 substantial damage.
144 accidents/incidents last year.
@109115 , @tmmorris comment was about gliding training of whoch it appears there are none.
But of course numbers of incidents would be higher, becuase pure and simply they do umpteen times more flying!
And none of the incidents which occured aren’t possibilities at a VGS, anyone can have a hard landing despite their skill set, anyone can have a winch failure.
so its not the overly cautious/restrictive approach that means the statistics are low… its luck
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BGA have just released their annaul accident report for 2023, I don’t believe they distinguish between training or dual and non training flights.
They probably have 100x or even 1000x more launches than us for a start. Also, I assume these incidence may well just be minor issues. If you look at DASORs issued by VGSs over a yeah, it’s probably more than 144 total!
I haven’t had the chance to look through the review in great depth, but dual / solo would most likely be another significant area to look at.
However, from the details in brief for the fatal events:
• Mid-air collision while participating in a
competition. Subject to AAIB investigation.
• Glider released early from aerotow at low level,
spun and crashed. Subject to AAIB investigation.
• After successfully completing a tow, the tug
aircraft continued the descent to impact with the
ground. Subject to AAIB investigation.
• Overshot approach into trees. Subject to a
Spanish investigation
Aero-tow = 3 out of 4.
Competition - putting lots of gliders in the same airspace for turning points / return to the aerodrome of origin = higher risk of mid-air collision.
These don’t figure (as far as I’m aware) in RAFAC / VGS activities.
Serious injuries:
• Heavy landing following incomplete winch
launch at <100ft.
• Heavy landing in crop during competition field
landing.
• Cartwheel during rotation from incomplete
winch launch.
• Collided with a tree during field landing.
• Club vehicle collided with a club member.
Some factors there which would translate across to RAFAC / VGS gliding. Landing out = unlikely for VGS.
Same for the serious damage events - filter those down to equivalent RAFAC / VGS activities & the stats change a lot.
I understand that the BGA do a great deal more launches than VGS.
I think you’re probably correct regarding the number of DASORs emanating from the VGS world, but that’s all part of a positive safety culture.
Let’s not forget the aim is to provide our cadets with a safe and memorable flying experience. I’m not suggesting that BGA clubs are unsafe, but they obviously have a different focus to what a VGS is tasked to provide.
With the BGA annual report in mind, would the Air Commodore feel comfortable putting cadets into that environment? Where we are now, I doubt it.
The current Commandant doesn’t seem to be happy with the safety risks involved in making a paper aeroplane so should his particular brand of risk avoidance feature in the thinking of sensible people?
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Er, discounting the “non-comparable” BGA operations (& solo / dual), then I don’t see a safety reason why cadets shouldn’t fly with BGA on a RAFAC basis - after all, it was initially approved years ago (flights in Non-Service aircraft).
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So why do you think we’re not flying cadets at BGA clubs then?
Let’s not forget that DASORs are not limited to flying events.
I’ve put one in for a dispersal incursion by contractors whilst I’ve been towing. Management have placed some in for parts that’s US on fit. And most recently, a DASOR was submitted by a tow IC who stupidly ignored warnings and marshalled an aircraft into a door.
There’s one recently for deer running across the glider launch cable 
Protectionism? Amount of investment on resources that they don’t want to lose?
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Justifying their VA claims?
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and jobs.
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The whole point of gliding is it was a cheap way of getting the cadets in the air locally. If the cost of gliding is the same as AEF (or more) then there is no point in gliding in the RAFAC. Just concentrate on powered flying
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Oddly, we used to have something that offered the best of both - I think they called it a “motor glider”.
It was a magical creation.
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Whatever happened to them. Oh yes. Somebody sold them so they can “provide 1,600 more people with flying experiences every year”…
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It was a miracle. They managed to find a way to fix the unfixable, make the unviable viable, and get state funding support where state funds were not available.
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Imagine if that happened to RAFAC’s current “funding crisis”…