Even better one at Odhiam… Cheers for the idea!
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If a cadet’s flights are a year apart, what’s the point in doing any training there either?
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But they don’t really, not anymore and haven’t for a decade, they should be focussed on experience too as it’s a more realistic goal.
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^ this.
Having PTT as a barrier to gliding increases the training value, but massively decreases the number that can be bothered having not had the experience.
Both my sons have got those quals, for no where near as much as that.
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Luckily it’s not a barrier anymore
Err.
ACTO 032
Cadet Aviation Familiarisation Course … These subjects are consolidated in a Part Task Trainer (PTT). Although there is no flying element to the FAM course.
Blue Wings Aviation Training Package … Expanded ground school training is consolidated in a PTT before a glider flight at a Volunteer Gliding Squadron (VGS).
(my bold).
Seems like there are still two PTT sessions to complete before getting near a glider - that feels like a barrier to me.
Or is ACTO32 out of date?
I sent 2 of mine to a gliding slot this week… a prerequisite was having completed the Blue ATP Ground School.
But from what I understand the PTT segment is now not required for the issue of Blue Wings… just the AGS course and a flight in either Tutor or Viking
Ah, okay. I’ve had a hunt back and can’t see an IBN or an email to say the policy has changed, but I’m probably being blind.
The key bit, I feel, is being able to pitch up to a VGS/AEF and get a flight. If that involves sitting through a PowerPoint first, fine, as long as it’s delivered there and then. For anything that requires more effort than that, my experience has been that cadets just won’t bother.
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It’s out of date pending a new syllabus release. There’s a dispensation in place to not have to do the simulator but ahead of a switch to delivering elements on sqn later in the year.
Plus, no VGS would ever turn a cadet away for not having already done the blue lecture and PTT, they’d crack on and do it if it were needed. They want cadets in the air, that’s why they volunteer as they do!
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Turbo- Those are the adult prices being part of a 7 day a week club with multiple paid instructors. Of course you’ll find some weekend place cheaper, you can’t compare. Most places do 50% off for Juniors which is great.
Alex, be aware that Odiham is heavily restricted by new farnborough airport airspace with short notice flying suspensions and gliding is often limited to one weekend day with the other activities that occur on base.
Most of 618 VGS quickly vanished after disbandment and either joined local civilian clubs or 615/622 VGS. Real shame. Used to be a real hive of activity at weekends.
BGA staff are volunteers…so not convinced that your point holds water.
BGA instructors are volunteers too, they don’t make a living from it unlikr flying instructors and is why gliding remains so cheap
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I’m with Turbo here…
I got my pilots license (NPPL) for ~£3200 so that seems an excessive price for gliding
It’s the “hook” we need and have been missing and unfortunately as in so many things as HQAC are lacking experience of ordinary sqn life and as such so detached from the shopfloor they don’t understand this. Their solution for the last dozen years has been admin and admin We need doing something for the sake of doing something and not need to have some outcome or other, which is what our experience flying has become. But the experience side of flying with no real strings is what made us as an organisation different. Not the be all and end all, but it was nuggets like this that made the trudge of drill, parades and classroom stuff bearable.
We have been taken down the Primary school badge for everything root and forgotten the excitement factor, not more so than flying, for no good reason. I’m surprised we don’t hand out gold star, smiley face etc stickers.
It would be nice to know who and how can be held to account for the missing element of experience flying/gliding and the consequences for their failure, other than honours. It seems from the FOIs there is no one who has of will be held to account or have this loss regarded as a failure.
@steve679 So while cadets get more than just flying (they’ve not even been getting that for 7 years), what exactly is the purpose of the Air Cadets, impact reports aside? What does it offer that other similar groups don’t? If you said to parents, the cadets won’t get to fly in the Air Cadets, but here’s places you could get a powered flight or several glider flights for the price of the subs, the next question could be, well why pay the subs as well. What we offer in terms of DofE can be done at school or through a centre and shooting can be done at club. What other ‘meaty’ things are there after that in our arsenal? TBH the organisation has only been kept going by the toil, sweat and good will of the volunteer staff as the flying offer has dwindled.
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simply because the Air Cadets is more than just flying…
for the cost of subs a Cadet can have a few launches in a glider if done privately
Likewise they can shoot at a private club.
and yes some schools run DofE (mine didn’t and still doesn’t)
But the RAFAC brings flying, shooting, DofE and everything else altogether for one price.
ok so there won’t be as a much shooting than if joining a dedicated club, same for gliding, or paddlesport, or climbing or anything else we do, but for one price we offer a taste of most of that choice several times a year
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But are we really delivering as we should be?
Yes the ATC is more than just flying, but you might expect youngsters to get in the air at least once a year in a Tutor, given we purport to be AIR Cadets. Happened for decades until the mid 10s’ and we know the story of massive decline from there and introduction of sitting in front of a PC flying, trying to convince people it’s really flying. The RAF maybe up for synthetic flying but it has all the excitement of waiting for paint to dry.
Apart from occasional stories of sqns getting cadets airborne over the last few years, it could hardly be thought of an ordinary activity like it was or nationwide.
I have become increasingly of the mind that when we need them, the ACMB have been sadly lacking as they can’t, aren’t able / bothered to step up and make things happen and make things easier to happen, as long as they get paid.
When as a squadron things aren’t happening as someone thinks they should, you are expected to find ways to change and make them happen. Accountability for failure or bothering that you have and are continuing in your failing doesn’t seem to be a concern higher up the ladder.
up for debate and a topic worthy of its own thread for separate discussion
agreed
but even if we are not flying we are doing everything else so there is still “value for money” as that £10/month offers everything else we do for less than it would be going to all the separate local clubs
i do share the disappointment about the flying/gliding situation and have great frustration that there are generations of Cadets who have missed out but as you rightly point out…
Watch for the evitable knock on effects…
Most RAF aircraft training will be via computer simulations on the ground, says air force head
Nearly all RAF aircraft training will be carried out using computer simulations on the ground, with real-life flying saved for wars and demonstrations of power, the head of the air force has said.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said he wanted a linked network of simulators at air and naval bases and barracks with “highly classified, ultra-realistic” synthetic environments.
This would allow war games to be recorded and paused, and allow the military to hide tactics from enemy forces, sources said. Some of the hours in simulators will contribute towards the flying hours deemed necessary to qualify as a pilot, although pilots will still have to carry out live training.
Typically a Typhoon pilot will carry out about 30 per cent of flying training hours synthetically and 70 cent of flying training live, and Wigston wants this to be reversed.
Speaking at the global air chiefs’ conference in London, he said: “I can see a future where almost all training, force generation and mission planning and rehearsal is done in a synthetic environment.”
A £36 million simulation system named Gladiator will be at initial operating capability by the end of this year. It replicates real-life scenarios, allowing US and UK aircrew to experience the same environment and threats.
Pilots will be able to carry out exercises and practise tactics and procedures that would be impossible in a live environment as a result of airspace limitations, aircraft availability or security constraints.
Wigston said that while the initial focus for Gladiator had been training the Typhoon force, the RAF was investing £40 million to add training for the Wedgetail early warning and control aircraft, the MQ-9B Protector drone and the Guardian air defence control system, which will protect UK skies.
He said he also wanted to add the Royal Navy’s Type 45 air defence destroyers and other assets to the simulated environment, so they could all train together in the virtual world.
Navy sources said: “People go online and fight with their friends in Call of Duty . This is like a big, complex version of that, where real airmen operate in a synthetic war without having to leave the ground. You can record and play it back, you can press pause. The enemy can’t watch what you are doing and what your tactics are.”….
Wow! That’s some simulator if it can simulate killing you!
Wow!