Literally everyone was saying that cadet attendance at RIAT should have been scrubbed given the severity of the weather. If HQAC are getting a telling off over the number of heat injuries, then it’s on them. By allowing it to carry on, they put their heads on the line completely needlessly.
But their solution to that will be a knee jerk “no more anything”, rather than a root and branch review of what went on, lessons learnt, and a more robust plan for the next edition - with new people in charge.
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One thing that has always bothered me about the ATC is the concept of person-centre Ed leadership model - the Hero or villain.
Yes the commandant is the person at top but there’s a whole group of people around them, advising, pushing their egos & own agendas.
Yes the commandant may be risk adverse & not understand how things happen on the ground but having walked in, doing a bit a of digging & then keep stumbling over bodies you can understand how we got to the place where we are now.
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Someone once told me, he is basically fire fighting and actioning outstanding tasks that should have taken under previous leadership.
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I think these last two posts are fair comments. But once again it’s the Comms, or lack thereof, which causes trouble. And he is responsible for that.
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RIAT/JL/other is not a core activity. It takes a lo of volunteer time to run. it has a cult following and those who do it often only do RIAT/JL/other and do not support other activities
Im paraphrasing vrt_memes here…but my point being if certain arguments are being used to block specific activities thise arguments really do need to only be specific to the activity that is being blocked
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This is indicative of the procedural, management, and comms issues endemic to HQAC though.
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They held a review, presumably as (at least it seems like) outsiders looking in.
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A decision was made
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They’ve actually spoken to those responsible for delivery, who have the knowledge, and now admit that the (already made) decision could be informed by consulting with those with the knowledge who are responsible for delivery.
Why was it not “hey, we think these these are problems, you know more about implementation, are there ways we can mitigate this?” In the first place?
And, personally, if HQAC (and/or CAC specifically) are getting a kicking over RIAT, how many people’s positions should be deemed untenable - especially considering the previous “do what is right, not what is easy” and “Heat Injury is a serious risk” spiel that saw shut downs in less risky circumstances?
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Maybe, if Civ Teams are to be kept, then HQAC need to provide decent accom in a single location, which ticks all their boxes.
Our Wing had accom, we were the only people attending, split sleeping arrangements and washing facilities. Ticked all the normal ACP237 requirements, but now no good 
Also needs to get rid of Academic Studies and Flying off that diagram too
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There is so much to remove from the diagram, maybe with the exception of RESILIENCE which CFAVs seem to have in abundance to cope with the fodder we have to deal with every week!
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You left on fieldcraft and you are meant to use the word “simulator” as it is meant to be synthetic training.
To be a conspiracy theorist, is Special K working to an agenda from above at Air Command, in that the ATC is slowly killed off and replaced by a ‘purple’ force ala CCF or onto an SCC model of charity funding. That would remove funding from the RAF and onto other sources of income.
Or is he so risk-adverse, if it’s outside a building then it’s unsafe so that means fieldcraft and outside shooting…ohhhh too risky?
Can it not be both?
That’s where my money would be.
How long before we aren’t doing AT outside of NACATC and we are only doing DofE at Bronze because wild country is too dangerous?
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I think it’s total risk aversion because of a complete lack of trust in CFAVs. I assume this judgement is based on some seriously bad cases (we know that these happen) and an assumption that most CFAVs are complete cowboys who don’t follow policy or care about the safety of cadets.
I find that approach insulting and massively demoralising.
The reality is that the overwhelming majority of CFAVs are hugely dedicated and trying to provide cadets with the best opportunities that we can. If there are cowboys, we probably know who they are in our Wings, and they need to be removed.
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More likly plausible deniability when things go wrong & he can say not my department.
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In any organisation albeit paid or voluntary ‘seriously bad cases’ happen, it’s the nature of life. Try to remove all risk in life, do you have a life?
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