Gliding "paused"

Read the messages again.

We’ve all said that we’d love to take them up, but most are busy working.

Doesn’t seem to be a problem for most with uptake of midweek Flying?

So surely a question should have been asked about whether 1 AEF is fit for purpose and I would say that it isn’t. (And neither is 5 AEF for much the same reason).

It’s not realistic or appropriate to expect cadets to take time off school to go flying. (I know what response the parents and schools in my area would give and it would be a big No).

Now I’m sure staff have adapted and are making the failed system work, it’s what we do in this organisation these days. But it’s hardly something to hold up as a success is it?

My only complaint about midweek flights was the not so much a complaint but a comment on the notice that we get for the majority. I have only seen 1 ‘scheduled’ slot during the week, for which someone managed to get leave, and the cadets managed to get the day off school, all places filled.

I also said that slots at 2/3 day make it difficult to achieve with a 1 day turnaround for response.

I still say that in my area, we were completely failed for 2 years and largely failed for another year after that with regards to AEF.

Sorry, I recognise that in the eyes of some we are not supposed to be dissenters to the great plan.

Try actually reading my response and not placing your own interpretation on it.

All must adjust their lives to facilitate when the Silver winged master race are able to grace them with their time! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Is that the ones who are able to come are happy? Is it often the same sqns who come? I’d love to take cadets midweek; sadly i can’t - and nor can many in the staff team.

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Look outside of your own staff team, ask other squadrons, it is a big world out there outside of your own compound believe it or not. You may be surprised that another member of staff from another squadron maybe happy to help out if you ask the question. Its a novel idea, talking to other squadrons but i does actually work you should try it sometime

Mid-week AEF flying is not the ideal answer, even in summer (staff / cadets on holidays, less people available at work to cover for someone to take a day off, etc).

“Super-VGS” - to me, a terrible idea. Weekend (2 days away) = impossible for many CFAVs, & parents will baulk at little Johnny & Josephine being away for 2 days (school / college coursework, Saturday job, etc). Factor in increased traveling time for VGS staff (limits for duty if flying?) & also for CFAVs / cadets = very impractical.

Last meeting (“flying in non-Service aircraft”) in the Ivory Towers was on 31 Oct, still waiting for an update.

5AEF = back to cadet weekend flying in 2018.

Oh thank you for your wisdom, none of us had ever thought of talking to someone else. That doesn’t however persuade schools to let cadets have the day off to go on what they see as a jolly does it?

We could however try setting things up and running them for the cadets, so if an AEF isn’t able to provide what the cadets need (you know flying when they aren’t at school), we should move it somewhere it can or close it as otherwise it is just a negative on the balance sheet.

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@Winki some of us even have a life outside of the ATC, never mind just outside our Sqn compound :stuck_out_tongue:

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So that will be any time in the next 13 months :clown_face:

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Depends who is persuading the schools. With your negative attitude about everything and anything cadet related i am not at all surprised they wont release their students. I would suggest that you find someone else to engage with the education authorities, someone who has a more positive outlook on the organisation.

@Winki do you think it might be an idea to step away from being quite so personal in your posts and maybe reading the words in context and not adding your own interpretation? I’m starting to think that you’re grumpy after missing your afternoon nap.

Wow. You might be surprised to hear that this isnt my first rodeo.

Sharing resources, asking around and scratching each other’s backs on an inter squadron, sector or Wing basis is a well trodden path to a deadendsville. It works well on paper. In practice? Less so.

Partly this is a product of the way FGLO allocates - we bid and he allocates midweek slots by Sqn. You can only bid if you have staff members to do it. Getting allocation only to hand it back because you can’t staff it doesn’t go down well. And saying to neighbouring Sqns “you can have half our allocation of 4 cadets if you provide staff cover” doesn’t work either.

Partly its greed driven. With the dearth of flying slots available, its hardly surprisingly that squadrons that can do it maximise their own opportunities over their peers.

As for engaging and persuading schools. We already do. With great success in some schools, far less with others - so it might not be the person negotiating that’s the problem. It could be school policy within the same LEA.

I’m not negative about things Cadet related, just towards people who’ve taken a company pill and who either can’t or choose not to see the fundamental failings around themselves.

Fact of the matter is that schools in our area are anti-military and so by extension are anti-cadets. You can write them letters, try and speak to people direct, send them newsletters so that they know all of the good things their students are doing. They still hate us and everything that they perceive we stand for and will not release cadets for anything. (Same goes for the ACF & SCC)

Not being personal just responding to posts. This is social media after all, if you don’t like the response you don’t have to be here.

you need to remember that most of the ‘silver winged master race’ give up their days off to fly cadets for a lot less pay and for more hours than you know.

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Can we not have a weeing competition about who gives the most up to take cadets flying please!

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You can make a complaint to the LEA if thats the case, not you personally but representations can be made on your behalf. Your local MP, RFCA can take up that challenge for you. The government have approved the CEP as they see the benefit of what we do so if a headmaster has an issue then the LEA should be dealing with that individual.