There’s been no real point to the UAS’ flying as much as they do since they removed EFT and replaced it with the budgie wings.
Get rid of that, also means removing the need for all of them to have 2 QFIs on strength.
Easy money. Where’s my 4 rings?
in all my years in the corps, and meeting UAS cadets only 1 young woman I can honestly say impressed me with their standards and attitude and i truly hope one day she does make it to the top. the rest unfortunately were more interested in the drinking and partying side to the UAS speaking to local AEF staff they find half don’t turn up for flying either…so that’s no help
IF the corps were to be rolling out the >18 staff members would it potentially be more beneficial to fold the UAS into us? gives us more staff and them some more responsibility
I can’t see that if the decision was to stop UAS, that the RAF would put that resource totally into Air Cadet AEF. They would still need to have a contract for maintenance and support for a few flights at the weekend. Which is a bit like having a car that you only use at the weekend, you still need to tax, insure, MOT and maintain it, which increases the pence per mile cost and at some point the viability over just hiring a car for weekend, has to be considered.
Frankly if UAS went, then could we see the using of local flying schools for AEF, that has been advocated for a while. What we need is something that is sustainable into the long term future and simply from the perspective of MOD selling off estate, I don’t think any AEF locations (or VGS) are secure if the MOD needs a few quid.
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Value for Money.
Looks like the UAS pary club coukd be in for a change.
AEFs operate five days per week. Although embedded within the UAS, the AEFs complete the vast majority of the flying…
So why is it we’ve always been led to believe the UAS took precedence and we just get AEF as a piggy-back on UAS as there wasn’t the money to fund AEF as a stand-alone Air Cadet activity. So if
what are the UAS’ doing?
So effectively if the contractor wants more money and the MOD pay it, UAS and AEF will remain, if not they’ll need to shop around for someone new or it’s gone.
Bringing back to the topic of Gliding pause came across this on FB and thought it worth sharing as seems to have been missed another VGS is now flying cadets again
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1425546030921585&id=317676175041915
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It appears that many cadets did get gliding over easter and there were a lot of achievements across the VGS community as a result, clearly gliding is happening and cadets are getting airborne (albeit much more limited numbers than before). This is slow but steady progress and will hopefully improve as more VGS come back online.
Based on the VGS’ Facebook posts:
632 (Tern Hill) VGS
1x SGS Solo
661 (Kirknewton) VGS
2x Cadet G2
1x SGS Solo
23x Blue ATP
2x Bronze ATP
622 (Upavon) VGS
1x Cadet G2
4x SGS Solo
644 (Syerston) VGS
7x SGS Solo
637 (Little Rissington) VGS
1x GWGT
(No further updates posted)
621 (Little Rissington) VGS
1x GWGT
Progress is good to see.
Would be great in an ideal world to see the planned final gliding plan.
Then have that capacity doubled!
Surely the Corps could get a large corpoeate sponsor to throw in £20m to achieve that.
A dinner with Gp Cpt Vorderman should do it.
I wonder if these blue badges are down to the PTT or actual Gliding? Anyone in 661’s area able to confirm?
Based on their Facebook post:
14 April: 8 Blue Gliding awards & 42x Blue PTT awards
21 April: 15 Blue Gliding awards & 22 Blue PTT awards
This makes me assume they are from the full gliding experience. On top of which there were some extra PTT cadets
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based on words i heard from our Wing OC last year
“even if VGS have all the aircraft serviceable, and a full compliment of pilots to fly them, and can fly on every day Pilots and students are scheduled to turn up at best all we can expect is half of the capacity we saw pre-pause”
or words to that effect.
seems these super VGS are the way forward…
Actual Gliding.
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Had a nice day out at 7AEF today.
I’ve asked our Wg Av O to update the JIs:
Location is not the main Cranwell area, but set to the south eastern side (this caught out a newer CFAV today).
Gate code - will no longer be sent out with any paperwork by 7AEF = sent to Wg Av O. 
If gate code not known, park just outside the gate & walk round to the AEF (to the left of left-hand building).
As one sqn didn’t turn up for their allocation, 2 CFAVs were lucky enough to fly - I was one of them. 
Slightly different from my day job - not allowed aeros, it spills the champagne - unless you are this skilful! (Look up some of his “engines feathered” displays too.
Don’t get the Champagne, but still prefer to be in the back of a Lear 35a than a commercial bird.
[quote=“bob, post:2375, topic:1152”]
Don’t get the Champagne, but still prefer to be in the back of a Lear 35a than a commercial bird.
[/quote]
Don’t get the Champagne, but still prefer to be in the back of a Lear 35a than a commercial bird.
[/quote]
Two of our company jets in the home UK base hanger.!
Just on a day out to Gibralter. Slightly to the right is RAF Gibralter.
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Nah, can’t stand up in one of those - nor get westbound across the pond in one go.
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