Gliding "paused"

Considering the background, I would suggest that management by a few staff cadets would probably be more productive…

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What about cadets who do QAUIC?
The two I know have said they feel the course and what they learned was largely wasted by the Corps, they could teach aviation subjects and felt that was about it. They said it helped more with job applications than cadets, which I suppose is one thing, but does question why get these youngsters supposedly qualified and not have a higher purpose for their being.

personally I think they should have made Tutor PTTs, put them at AEFs and they run the PTT along side the AEF trip so you get out of the sim and then go flying. Simples

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But if you do PTT on the day you fly (as I assume is the intention for VGS) would that not either shorten your flying day (while cadets are all in the they aren’t in the air) or mean that depending on whether you were a morning or afternoon detail some cadets get wings and others don’t?

(I appreciate this is better than doing a Viking PTT and then flying a Tutor at some point down the line!)

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It doesn’t matter when you do the PTT element. It can be done either at an AGS or VGS prior to or after the flying/gliding phase. Do the Flying in the Tutor = A wings. Do the Flying in a glider = G wings.

I know that, my point was that by having it at the VGS you either have to make 2 trips to somewhere potentially far from local or if you are a morning detail you may miss out on Wings as you will have flown without doing the PTT elelment. (Unless they are planning to start morning details at 05:00!)

Morning detail fly whilst afternoon detail do PTT. Then they swap over in the afternoon and everyone gets wings before being home in time for tea and medals

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i am probably incorrect given the tone of the comments but…

…is it prescribed in writing it should be PTT> getting airborne?

I thought they were tick boxes, so it didn’t matter which order they were done in providing you ticked the boxes???

I suppose ideally you get it all done in one day?
Doesn’t account for bad weather, aircraft serviceability, PTT serviceability or pilot/instructor availability…
You may have to do it over two trips? Hopefully you’ll get at least one element done?

I would hate to take anybody to a flying location and not actually fly (weather notwithstanding).

Pre-training needs to be very widely available so it can be easily achieved in advance of an actual flying slot. This means the PTTs need to be significantly more simple (and cheap), more numerous and well distributed. The classroom stuff should be achievable at any squadron.

Naturally they need to lower the bar set for PTT instructors too.

Not quite sure what you mean regarding lowering the bar for PTT instructors?

PTT instructors need to be trained by attending a course, putting additional load on instructors and limiting their availability as the pool of PTT instructors is smaller than the pool of instructors in general. This is overkill and a thinly-veiled attempt to make people think the sim is a particularly valuable part of the training system and not an attempt to compensate for a lack of flying.

By all means have a laid-down syllabus and process, but have it on crib sheets and allow any appropriately-knowledgable instructor deliver that. It isn’t like they are CAA-loggable hours and it will be so long between a PTT sortie and a flight that most of the skills taught there will fade to a vague memory.

result being, you can still achieve whatever it is you expect to achieve on a PTT, more easily, especially when used on more, simpler, closer sim rigs.

The PTT at a VGS can be manned by a QGI, who is qualified to instruct anything iaw their category without attending a course.
It’s the instructors at an AGS that may have to attend a course.

Hopefully isn’t a good word, although it has always been the basis of flying and gliding.

However the only limiting factor should be weather. If people are travelling often 2 - 3 hours and there aren’t enough people or aircraft, then that is a failure and in any other sphere compensation would be paid and a business could be in jeopardy. But we are just expected to suck it in and accept it, which is why following disappointment and in 5 AEFs instance multiple disappointments, is it any wonder that squadrons struggle to get sufficient interest.

Presumably you cannot become a QGI without attending a course…

Any QGI holding a category can instruct on the PTT.

The fact is that sometimes aircraft, equipment and staff have unforeseen issues.
If you’ve ever managed a Flying operation (which I’m guessing you haven’t) you would appreciate that.
Whoever provides Flying/gliding will have those issues.

I can fully appreciate unforeseen things as these affect our daily lives.

But when things happen that could be mitigated for in advance or got around by a bit of lateral thinking, that you fail to see the “funny side”.

At least before 5 AEF curled up its toes, we would get advance notice and didn’t start journeys or worse still get there only to sit around and then told to go home.

I imagine it is as frustrating for the staff on AEF/VGS, but when you have youngsters excited and nervous and some preparing to overcome personal demons, get let down, some of the conversations they have on the way home aren’t complimentary.

When there are obvious issues that will affect them AEFs and VGS will make an effort to cancel cadets.
Sometimes however there are unforeseen circumstances that affect the day. The weather forecast can change etc,etc. It’s not an exact science and unfortunately sometimes people travel only to be disappointed. My experience it that this happens to a small percentage. If you plan a D of E expedition, you may have to cancel it at the last minute due to bad weather. I’m sure cadets are disappointed about that as well?

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I would only cancel a DofE for snow/ice or severe storms.

I don’t plan DofE or any local expeds in winter anymore due to the Corps’ overly anal approach and severe storms are what they are.