Does anyone know why Flight Staff Cadets volunteering at a VGS can claim for travel, yet FSC’s volunteering at the AEF’s can’t? Or, for that matter, other aerospace activities?
We have a QAI flight staff cadet on the squadron who is spending time at an AEF, (Wittering) helping on the current QAIC, (Cranwell & Cosford) and instructing at the Regional Aerospace Centre, (Wyton) yet can’t claim a penny! Seems a tad unfair.
I didn’t think any cadets (regardless of whether they are FSCs or not) can claim mileage. I certainly never could when I was a cadet and DS’ing on various things.
They could always ask for a rail warrant…
You can claim for a little bit as gliding Staff cadets @MRAR
It harks back to a time when there wasn’t QAIC cadets and was really the only thing cadets could participate in as “staff”.
Ask your OC to challenge it up the chain (possibly directly to RC(N) on ask the commandant) You will be fobbed off as I have known people before. but if enough people question It something may change.
Or you could ask your wing committee to help you out. If you are helping the wing then they should consider it.
I’m fairly sure you need to be G1 to claim. On paper anyway.
This is an on going battle we have had with HQAC. As a gliding school staff cadet, you are deemed as under training to become and instructor and therefore will be in a position to put something back into the Corps once you obtain your ‘G’ wings. Gliding school Staff Cadets can claim mileage allowance as per ACP300.
As an AEF staff cadet you are not under training and thus are seen as not providing a service as there is no qualification you can achieve which will benefit the Corps as a whole.
Its an ongoing struggle and I will raise it again (3rd year running) at the AEF Commanders Conference this year.
I think it is incredibly harsh on the QAI’s. They are asked to ‘give back’ by teaching off-squadron at other units and helping to deliver the next Qualified Aerospace Instructors Course. This can and does entail driving up and down the country at their own expense, petrol money that 17-19 year olds can barely afford.
As a former QAI, such is life 
The majority of my ‘giving back’ was DS’ing on subsequent courses so I just took the train and got picked up from the station like the students. Rail travel was at public expense.
It’s almost like they haven’t thought it through.
The majority of ‘giving back’ by the QAI on our squadron is accepting ‘invites’ by other squadrons to teach aerospace subjects at their unit. That and RAC weekends.
Well in my mind, i would be speaking to my civ comm or the unit requesting assistance and asking for a donation to be made to the cadet for the travel costs. Or giving them something like a free night climbing/kayaking etc as a thank you.
I understand HQAC not wanting to open the flood gates to cadets trying to request money for travel, but it does need looked at for certain people.
Like @Intruder says there’s nothing stopping them asking your squadron’s civcomm or the inviting unit’s for help with travel costs.
And frankly, if they can’t afford it they don’t have to do it. Although there’s an expectation QAI’s give back they’re not going to be hunted down and ejected from the RAFAC if they don’t.
Don’t they have to pat quite a bit of dosh to take part in the course in the first place?
Yes they do.
As the organisation is moving towards over 18 cadets being “Staff” i genuinely think HQ need to look at the payments they are making towards courses/camps.
At the moment they are they are paying £80 to go to a camp and then can end up doing more work than CI’s (and sometimes uniformed staff!) who go for free and get free food. I know of a couple of cadets going on a weekend as DS who had to pay £10, yet staff who were going didnt get charged.
Staff don’t get free food or accommodation. There is an accommodation charge and messing is normally done on a Pay As You Dine basis. The only time staff get free messing is if they are not in receipt of pay ie they have used all their 28 paid days. You may find that some staff are out of pocket as they have to take unpaid leave from work and even if you do get to claim the 7 days for camp it sometimes doesn’t get anywhere near what you’d get paid in your full time job.
You really didn’t get my point.
CIs don’t pay for food or accommodation on camp, they don’t pay anything to go. Why should a staff cadet who is doing exactly the same job (if not more sometimes) have to pay to go?
