Found it - https://twitter.com/fts_2/status/1545048214285365250
TBH Iām more than happy to give up a few slots to get some friends in parliament. The question now is what 2FTS/HQAC do to follow up on this and maintain the relationship
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Thereās a standing joke in our squadron about how every solo gliding flight by a cadet, (at the end of the day, only a silver PTS badge) is shared on social media by Comdt RAFAC, HQ RAFAC, Comdt 2FTS, etc. etc.
We wonder why they donāt share all the silver leadership, band, DofE, radio, shooting, road marching badges with the same vigour as they do with gliding?
Maybe they realise that cadets only have a 1 in a 1000 chance of getting a silver badge through their USP, but are content that the general public are blissfully unaware of this and will believe the social media .
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Anyone watched the programme?
Scouts / Cubs Young Aviator Day:
āWe had 22 pilots with 18 aircraft from all around the region and managed to fly all of the young peopleā¦ā
And what can we do for external flyingā¦? 
Sad, isnāt it? That press release is pretty much everything we should be doing. Instead, weāre confined to watching other groups do itā¦ 
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A good friend of mine used to regularly fly groups of scouts. Heād take two or three up at a time. On an activity day they just wanted to get kids airborne.
He can never believe my updates from the RAFAC.
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Note the sponsor of their Air Activity Badges:
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Theyāll argue theyāre not responsible for organising the flying, and donāt provide them with an in-house option - so the actual flying element is nothing to do with them.
Utterly embarrassing.
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Ludicrous - I have to drive my cadets straight past two civvie airstrips with flying schools to get to our AEF, a 64 mile round trip. To have found the scouts can do this sponsored by the RAF is soul destroying.
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They are all checked by the local ATC WSO for quality assurance every now & then
Only if they are RAF recognised units. The more usual oversight is the County Aviation Adviser or the Assistant County Commissioner for activities and the local District Commissioner.
Plus a bunch of people at the HQ at Gilwell, the ATC is not the only outfit that likes its paperwork.
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Time to start some upwards prodding.
The initial response back from the Reg Av O - currently no plans at HQ RAFAC level to bring back ACTO35 - total focus on AEF / VGS provision.
Well, their focus needs to change. AEF / VGS flights are in very short supply (how mnay aircraft did RAFAC loseā¦?) & the longer term options for cadets flying in Service aircraft are very, very few & far between. From a visit there last month, the BZN hierarchy have not signed off (post Covid) for cadet flying in anything, & this might not change until 2023 to look ahead for Easter camp & onwards. Of course, they have an increased operational tempo, so chances will most probably be very reduced anyway. Helicopter options are also in very short supply too.
ACTO35 (or similar) has to be the way ahead to improver matters. Please nag your respective Wg Av O to keep pushing this up the food chain & request them to get their Reg Av O to submit the concerns to the Ivory Towers. Itās no good having the stock reply from on high.
The pathetic mantra that āMilitary Aviation standards have to be imposedā on CAA-approved / BGA approved clubs is outrageously protective.
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That changed quickly - but for the good.
What frustrates me is these military standards are being applied on civilian opportunities.
Cadets are civilians. Why do their opportunities need to meet military standards?
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I donāt mind that as much if it was consistent, or if the military had a good track record of not killing people.
Why can the ACF and SCC attend and use flying clubs that we canāt? They must surely need military oversight as much as our cadets.
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Going back not so many years ago when I raised this, I had some very good friends and contacts in the aviation industry, pilots I worked with, engineers, operations etc, told NO by a wing commander about any form of flying. Knew then the Corps was dysfunctional and walked away quickly.
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Yah. But they dont have 2 and 6 FTS doing everything they can to protect their jobs.
They couldnt give the slightest of figs about cadets actually flying, only keping their CS / FTRS jobs and pensions.
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