good reply and FYI I am not one of said ‘master race’
Winki, It appeared to me that you were taking several posts considerably out of context…
Maybe I should just go and cry in a corner as you are obviously know much more than me! lol
As everyone knows it is still the head teachers decision, if they say No that’s the end of it.
But that still doesn’t address the fundamental flaw of having large parts of the country where either zero flying is taking place or where it is only taking place mid-week which means that one of our core activities isn’t open to every cadet.
We have closed viable VGS and centralised them (not a policy I particularly agree with) because more in one place is apparentky better. if it’s such a good idea why don’t we do the same with the AEF’s that can’t fly at weekends? Close them and make the others which are able to provide a service at the time of peak demand bigger.
Good luck with that one. LEA have no powers over 85% of secondary schools in our area as they are academies. RFCA and MP are also useless. 2 of these schools have their own CCFs - and won’t release cadets to us for anything (esp when they can’t get flying slots as their CCF day isn’t an AEF flying day!!).
MOD and DfE approve lots of things like CEP. But its a hard corner to fight when schools are up against it with far bigger issues like, you know, teaching an ever more monitored curriculum, than letting some cadets go flying because it’s more convenient for some AEFs to fly them during the working week!
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What’s your point? We all give up our time and do our hobby for far less money than we would get if we went to work. (and I find the virtue signallers who aren’t on AEF’s and VGS’s just as annoying so don’t feel I’m targeting the flying side of things!)
Thats because we dont own the AEF’s. The AEF’s are there to support the UAS’s and are an MoD centrally funded asset, we are secondary to their primary purpose and funding.
Incorrect
The AEFs are there to provide flying for Air Cadets.
We assist UAS’s when we are able but our primary tasking is cadet flying.
Yes we belong to 6FTS but that is a funding and LAFT contract pooling of resources.
HQAC could not afford to run an AEF.
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I’m not sure money is their biggest barrier! 
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So the funding comes down from 22 group but not via HQAC?
Good point. Where does the AEF tasking come from and who provides the pilots. As you have said HQAC could not afford to own, run or operate an AEF.
Funding comes from 22GP who provide aircraft and engineering etc
Pilots pay and travel comes from HQAC same as yours so yes they are on the same measly £56 a day after tax.
Service officers who give up their time get nothing at all!!
Well service officers are paid anyway so they get flying hours under their belt. How many RAFAC officers are on the AEF’s i didnt think there were that many
Serving officers are paid yes but not on their days off which they give up to fly air cadets.
We have about 30 pilots
If I remember correctly, most of the service officers kind of are doing it for free as they are doing it in their ‘spare time’ as a secondary duty. It is part of the quid pro quo that they keep their flying hours up as a pay back for giving their time up.
Getting paid to go flying is like me getting paid to run Expeditions, it’s a happy perk for something I would do for free.
So although we are the primary user and purpose for the units, we don’t directly control them for funding stream reasons?
With that in mind then do we not have influence over where they are located on a supply/demand basis. So if for example an AEF is only able to run mid-week can HQAC it say to 22 Group, this is stupid we need to make changes?!
Umm service officers are paid 24/7 …
It’s a bit more complicated than that though isn’t it? I’m paid 24/7 and expected to deal with things I come across, but I’m only expected to go to work for 40 hours a week.
Edited to add- surely it would be the same for service personnel. (On a day to day basis)
Do we have 30 pilots … really … my understanding is that it’s single figures.
6 FTS have the funding from 22Gp and task the AEF’s directly. Basically HQAC get beneficial use to fly the cadets
That’s civi street. The RAF don’t get overtime, the service instructors don’t put in an overtime sheet to get extra money, the pilots dont get overtime to fly cadets. It’s all part of being a serviceman.
But do they not just accrue Time off in lieu? My brother is just back from the Falklands and has a huge amount of extra time off as he has worked longer working days out their than he would have in the UK.