*going off topic slightly, but to highlight why my engine has been spluttering.
Ignore the cliché of “back in my day” old war stories, lets look at the what is written in black and white.
This gliding review available from here, written in 2012 has in my opinion three interesting lines,
Paragraph 7
Flying and aviation studies are at the heart of both the Air Cadet Organisation (ACO) and of each Cadet’s ore experience; it is what distinguishes the ACO from other uniformed youth organisation such as he Army Cadets or the Scouts…this was identified as an element to be preserved in the recent Defence Youth Engagement Review (DYER). Gliding, in particular, is a key aviation experience for cadets, providing low cost access to quality structured and challenging flying. Gliding is the key ACO motivator both to attract young people to join the ACO and to retain th,; AEF is a close second.
my bold
Para 11a
There are 3 elements to the AEF Requirement
1 – the provision of one 25-minute air experience flight to each Cadet per annum.
Para13
The current provision of 25 minutes per Cadet each year remains a realistic target.
Para 12
There are 3 elements to the ACO Gliding Requirement
…this will allow each eligible Cadet to undertake a GIC every 3 years
TL:DL Combined this identifies that getting cadets in the air is our raison d’etre at least in terms of USP. The “average Cadets” should after 3 years have been offered 4 flights in either an AEF or GIC environment.
This was written in 2012…..has the RAFAC/HQAC/RAF/MOD…the world changed so much that what makes the Air Cadets the Air Cadets 10 years ago as an achievable “realistic” target but pure fantasy today?