Gliding "paused"

We produce our own.

And if anyone asks about RAF-provided flying we answer them honestly; square root of Jeff all.

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It’s all well and good doing your own, like we do with flying and gliding largely omitted, and then some bright spark writes about the marvellous flying experience had by some cadets somewhere in the UK. Then a question from cadets like when are we going to do that,

What irks me most is that parents don’t really give a monkeys as long as we babysit their teenagers one or two nights a week,

Surely if 614 moved in 2018 it should have been ready to start gliding or at least have a computer game (sic flight sim) for cadets to use.
The question is what has happened to all the money meant for squadron builds and maintenance that was robbed from RFCA that was supposedly to pay for the new VGS and the other money from the RAFCT plundered to pay for flight sims’.

As has been said since almost day one of the loss of gliding if this was a commercial operation people would have been sacked a long time ago, the former OC 2FTS would have been got rid of as to lose one of your major products / services like this would just not have been acceptable. As it is all concerned have been laughing all the way to the bank, lining pockets, while the most important people in the ATC, the cadets, have been denied it ATCs USP.

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It does have a PTT set up as 611 AGS were already there. multiple other sites were considered before swanton, the infra wasnt done first as its DIO not the air cadet budget in this case and DIO trying to avoid paying for the situation they caused.

The money from RFCA hasn’t all been plundered out from HQAC its still very much under HQAC control not 2FTS

In the words of one senior officer to myself an one other peerson,that money can be better used in his budget, pity the ACF went ahead with their part of the plan.

Being a bit liberal with the time scale there.He wouldnt have lasted 6 months in the company I work for.A summons to head office would have been made and he would have disappeared without trace.

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this could be said for nearly anything
a trip to BAE Systems
a Voyager flight
Trip to War Graves in France/Europe
Tour of RAF Lakenheath

but i do get what you are saying - it doesn’t take much to look at the PTS posters and questions are asked “how do we get this badge Sir?”
without a Band on Unit or even within the sector nigh impossible without external teaching.
parachuting is another - few and far between places

The difference is we have control over trips like that and if enough interest is shown and its viable, they are doable.
We have absolutely zero control over gliding, we are at the behest of others and the current postcode lottery.

I was being a bit generous and relates to general working.
I work in the FMCG sector and 6 weeks would be generous if a main brand was involved and many senior heads would be rolling if a major product was off the shelves for 2-3 weeks. We have had problems with main brands and it’s all hands on deck to get it sorted, because we all know losing consumer confidence in one, could spin onto others and potentially no job.
Pity no job wasn’t one of the options in 2 FTS or HQAC wrt gliding.

Any intel on the new OC 2FTS? Is there hope for the future? :’)

Slowly, very slowly, things are moving.

The VGS at Little Rissington were gliding this weekend and have 3 gliders. The VGS at Upavon were also flying cadets and are expecting a 3rd glider within the next month.

Get back to a third at Upavon, there were 3 in 2017 and first half 2018 dropped to 2 for the last 8 months.

First they came for the VGS, now this is in the offing. Apologies to Pastor Niemoller for using his quote.

https://www.raf.mod.uk/ftrs-ptvr-adc-verr/vacancies/deputy-team-lead-uas-vfm-19-study-rafc-cranwell/

What does VfM stand for?

Very formidable member

Value for Money.

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Ahhh, John Middleton’s new role. Close that down as well.

Is employing an Air Commodore and a Groupie to do the study Value for Money?

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Bye bye UAS

Or at least anything meaningful.

Therefore bye bye AEF.

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Nope, but I suspect you have to have somebody higher up the food chain than a Squadron Leader to do the review. Just wonder if whoever is appointed will be certain to give the ‘right’ decision?

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