Totally agree, dont think any of us disagree about getting cadets (and staff) in the air. Sometimes i think we need some middle ground between no standards and supersafe as both result in no time in the air. May persistence and perseverance will resolve what whatever perceivable barrier there is. I hope/wish people see it as a regulatory barrier and not a judgement on their own flying standards whether civ or mil.
I do remind our cadets that we are fortunate to next door to vgs and aef so can only empathise on those who have to travel far.
Iād be very wary of any organisation the doesnāt have accidents. Theyāre either lying, or exist in the type of culture you donāt need in aviation.
Iād also be interested in comparing those stats with the total number of launchesā¦
i would be keen to see the stats of the incidents of GIC style flying - as everything else is outside of the scope the Cadets will be doing.
If the BGA accidents are all during cross-country flights, perhaps during competitions then these are not relevant as a comparison.
if there are numbers about winch launch fails or in the circuit/sight of the airfield then yes fair enough add themā¦but lets compare apples with apples as best we can
My local club flew 30 scouts over a 3 hour period last Friday night. There were no deaths, accidents or incidents. It is the 4 time they have done it this year. For many of the scouts it was their 2nd, 3rd or 4th glider flight of the year!
In the meantime, I can only dream of getting 4 cadets a glider flight at a VGS this YEAR!
Local scout group 120 slots this year so farā¦our squadron, 3 gliding slots so far this year.
This is why I am angry and embarrassed by HQAC, 2FTS and the VGS.
Its just a constant stream of excuses, BS, mission statements, ārecovery programsā, more BS, aims & goals, more BS, targets, ars3 covering, and more BS thrown on top for good measure.
Shape up or ā ā ā ā out!
Although in all serious a lot our CFAVs have & the local sea cadets have also gone gliding recently which is starting to poach a couple of cadets so weāre starting to lose the uniqueness of our main selling point.
The fact that overseas trips involving commercial flights is OK but CAA Approved ATOs arenāt had always irked me.
Would there be anything stopping a unit from buying return tickets from London to Edinburgh on BA as an air experience flight for cadets?
If I set up the XXX Squadron Airline, gain an Air Operators Certificate with a light aircraft (stranger things have happened) then does that become acceptable?
I disagree, we havenāt lost it yet although a better correction would be to remove the word āstartingā
We still have it & we can revive it. But we need to get slicker & have things more aviation directed.
Micro lighting might be an option (& Dep OC 22Grp is I believe president of the RAF microlight association).
The sea cadets have water activities of kayacking, rowing, sailing windsurfing & even tall ship sailing. This is the variety we need to develop in the air side of the air cadets.
As an example of a crazy idea but could we have the gold wings for cadets who do basically a cross country glider event like a flying version of a DofE exped.
What about a balloon race?
drone obstacle course which you modify a commercial drone for that particular years task?
Since you can now use an Xbox for synthetic trainers why not a corps cadet flying display teams which links into the esports? Maybe each region could put a sim display on or do an online version of red bull air race.
We need to think creatively to get the aviation edge back.
To save everyone the readā¦they are paying someone a lot of money to say, āNo, you canāt do X,Y or Z, because somebody might break a finger nail, and that would jeopardize my OBEā.
You are not wrong as cadets donāt and shouldnāt need to understand why the adults canāt supply. If FTS stick to the we are not using civies then they need more gliders and locations.
Dont get commercial flying and air experience traing mixed, different risks and responsibilities. I can drive a minibus but cant drive the scouts for reward
I also fully understand and accept that this is a private arrangement between myself and the relevant Flying Club. The Flying Club has primary responsibility for the care and safety of your child. Also, the club is reliant on civilian CAA regulation to guarantee flight safety and assurance.
Additionally, whilst non-public monies may pay for any necessary membership fees, passenger flight or flight instruction, I agree to pay any out- of-pocket expenses which may include travel, food and accommodation.
Exactly like the CFI at a BGA clubā¦oh, hang on a minute, theyāre all volunteers just like us.
Makes you wonder why they accept all that āriskā and responsibility without a massive salary?
Maybe itās because they just want to see people in the air enjoying gliding, rather than having one eye on the New Year honours!