[quote=“chaz” post=5465][quote=“romeo bravo” post=5405]Announced today that 5 AEF will be moving from RAF Wyton and 7 AEF from RAF Cranwell, both to RAF Wittering…
…As a result moves are also planned for East Midlands Universities Air Squadron and No 115® Squadron who are currently based at RAF Cranwell to relocate to RAF Wittering. It is planned to concentrate UAS and AEF flying at RAF Wittering, with EFT conducted at RAF Cranwell, rather than a mix of both at each station. [/quote]
Interesting to note although it mentions concentrating AEF flying at Wittering, it doesn’t mention specifically that 7AEF will move from Cranwell; I’ve heard rumour that this is undecided. 7AEF may well actually benefit from remaining at Cranwell, although there would obviously be a change of policy as it would be a Flt of either 16 or 57 Sqn, not a UAS as they currently are. Sense would say AEF capacity would be better should it remain in situ.[/quote]
(my bold) That seems pretty clear to me?
Mind you, it HAS to be said; nothing has been heard either way at our end, and we are supposed to be the users!
[quote=“40b” post=5505][quote=“chaz” post=5465][quote=“romeo bravo” post=5405]Announced today that 5 AEF will be moving from RAF Wyton and 7 AEF from RAF Cranwell, both to RAF Wittering…
…As a result moves are also planned for East Midlands Universities Air Squadron and No 115® Squadron who are currently based at RAF Cranwell to relocate to RAF Wittering. It is planned to concentrate UAS and AEF flying at RAF Wittering, with EFT conducted at RAF Cranwell, rather than a mix of both at each station. [/quote][/quote]
(my bold) That seems pretty clear to me?
[/quote]
My bold is just to highlight that the only mention of 7AEF was by RomeoBravo, not the official statement. The slightly ambiguous statement, although admitted mentions concentrating AEF flying at Wittering, mentions 5AEF, but not 7AEF? Why not?
Well, why on earth would they “concentrate” AEFs? Concentrating an AEF is called merging them (ie closing one). Having two AEFs at one site would be pointless.
Well this does seem to be a massive, of galactic proportions, charlie foxtrot by HQAC in light of all their bluff and how good are we bravado reference communications recently, in that not one letter of one word has emanated from them in relation to the move of TWO AEFs, which will affect 100s of squadrons.
Well done HQAC normal service has been resumed :ohmy: … didn’t take long
GHE2, the info that RB posted did not emanate from HQAC, IBN 10/13 is an MOD document, additionally, HQAC does not control the TUTOR fleet. So on this occasion, it isn’t entirely the fault of HQAC, although they will undoubtedly have been consulted (told what’s happening) on the proposal.
I suspect, unless there’s a massive change in the AEF system (ie they amalgamate several), those used to going to Wyton will continue North for 20 minutes to Wittering, users of 7 AEF will remain in the Cranwell area (Cranwell, maybe Barkston).
I suspect, unless there’s a massive change in the AEF system (ie they amalgamate several), those used to going to Wyton will continue North for 20 minutes to Wittering, users of 7 AEF will remain in the Cranwell area (Cranwell, maybe Barkston).[/quote]
You obviously have missed the point. Unless we have access to the missives that have mentioned this, we rely on HQAC to keep us informed. Which they haven’t. It has nothing whatsoever to do with who controls anything.
It is laughable to say it’s only another 20 minutes on the journey to Wittering from Wyton, if that 20 minutes takes a driver (if you go by coach) over his/her hours, unless HQAC are happy to pay for 2 drivers, it’s a 45 minute stop somewhere on both journeys. Remember we are talking about the great British road system, which isn’t the best for journey planning at the best of times.
Will admit it does not state 7AEF but as they use the 115 ® Sqn and EMUAS airframes, what will 7AEF fly…
And the stupidity of 7AEF not moving will be that some 7AEF based ATC squadron would have to go into RAF Wittering to pick up transport to travel 45 mins to Cranwell
[quote=“glass half empty 2” post=5524]
You obviously have missed the point. Unless we have access to the missives that have mentioned this, we rely on HQAC to keep us informed. Which they haven’t. It has nothing whatsoever to do with who controls anything. [/quote]
The statement, as has been said, concerned where Tutor assets are to be based in future. HQAC would have had little say in this, and, as certain details have not been confirmed, may want to wait until 3FTS have decided where they are putting assets before making a statement. All they can definitely say for the moment is some AEF assets are going to move. Why put a statement out when the facts have not been (officially) confirmed.
Tutor airframes are pooled at each site, so yes, at the moment they use the same airframes as 115(R), 16 (R), EMUAS and CFS Exam Wg (the only airframes they tend not to use are the MELIN EA Tutors, as I don’t think, other than one or two, they have any EA qualified pilots). As has been mentioned, even though 115(R) and EMUAS are moving, 16(R) aren’t, and 57(R) will be moving to Cranwell this summer, so there will still be a large pool of airframes at Cranwell (it will probably remain the largest Tutor base despite the changes). All that’s going to happen is 7 AEF are likely to be parented by someone else. Being parented by an EFT Sqn rather than a UAS will make no difference at all, other than the AEF Flt Cdr working for a different boss.
The stupidity of 7AEF moving is a lot of very rural Sqns will have several hr journeys to their nearest AEF, particularly if the Church Fenton assets move to Leeming rather than Linton.
This would have hit the flying wallahs at HQAC long before becoming publically available, thus I still feel they should have put this out. Far more useful and informative than the majority of their announcements.
Probably not, until it happens.
According to various routefinders it takes 15 minutes to drive the 8 miles to the squadron we doing shooting at. Obviously they don’t use the roads that I use. In all of the years I’ve taken cadets there, 25-30 minutes is closer to the mark. Well unless you want to “run” the 8 sets of traffic lights 4 with cameras
To dispel any arguments, google maps says the A14 or A1 junction for Wyton, up to RAF Wittering is 20 minutes in a car.
At the end of the day, there’s no point complaining; it’s going to happen! The real losers would have been those heading westwards to Cranwell, as that would add the best part of an hour to any journey; Cranwell to Wittering being about a 45 minute commute in a car, let alone anything bigger.
[quote=“chaz” post=5531]To dispel any arguments, google maps says the A14 or A1 junction for Wyton, up to RAF Wittering is 20 minutes in a car.
At the end of the day, there’s no point complaining; it’s going to happen! The real losers would have been those heading westwards to Cranwell, as that would add the best part of an hour to any journey; Cranwell to Wittering being about a 45 minute commute in a car, let alone anything bigger.[/quote]
Thinking about it, travelling from the south or west (A1 or A14), the journey to Wittering may actually only add another 10 minutes bearing in mind that it takes something in the order of 10 mins or so to get across to Wyton from Brampton Hut, the junction of A1/A14. Less than ideal for some, but not the end of the world.
And breathe everyone. Lets wait and see what the grown ups actually say about 7 AEF. I won’t be holding my breath though
Not complaining, just looking at it from the practical perspective of travelling any distance and not getting too excited about the theoretical journeys routefinders tell you.
It still doesn’t get away from the fact it should have been made known to those it affects.
Not complaining, just looking at it from the practical perspective of travelling any distance and not getting too excited about the theoretical journeys routefinders tell you.
It still doesn’t get away from the fact it should have been made known to those it affects.[/quote]
You have to love the troll.
At the end of the day, it was an official announcement by the MOD and as such, would have gone around the bazaars, including HQAC. Just because the IBN didn’t come out of HQAC doesn’t mean they didn’t know about. It was announced at the highest level, the ACO is a small cog in a larger machine and this affects more than the ACO.
As for banging on about those who it affects, well, those people have two options -
put up with it and travel the extra distance. Additional costs will be picked up.
don’t travel and lose the slots. And who loses out, the cadets.
This has happened before; those of us old enough will remember the last major change in 1995/96 will remember Manston’s AEF moving to St Athan and flying slots for the whole London and SE area transferring to 5AEF. Did people moan? No, they just got on with it.
You just want to be glad you don’t live in Northern Ireland; more than a couple of hours to go flying, if at all…
We were briefly served at Manston with a detatchment from 6AEF’s Bulldogs. IIRC the only time I ever tried to fly in a Bulldog at Manston it was as foggy as! Put it this way, if you live in Kent, you’re screwed whatever happens. At the end of the day 3FTS has to accomodate the AEF requirements the best it can within its Tutor estate.
Sadly, over 17 years, this has been to the detriment of the most densely populated area of the UK!
or We lose flying days as a result when the travelling time goes up by almost 2 hours and the school reduces the days it lets cadets out to make up the lesson time lost. Or bins letting them out full stop.
I sincerely hope for the sake of our (CCF) RAF section that 7 AEF stay at Cranwell (or just move to Barkston).
[quote=“40b” post=5543]
or We lose flying days as a result when the travelling time goes up by almost 2 hours and the school reduces the days it lets cadets out to make up the lesson time lost. Or bins letting them out full stop.[/quote]
This then opens the can of worms of why do we have AEF’s in the first place. Is it still “policy” (or the aspiration) in the Corps to get every (eligible and able) cadet one AEF flight per year?
Not complaining, just looking at it from the practical perspective of travelling any distance and not getting too excited about the theoretical journeys routefinders tell you.
It still doesn’t get away from the fact it should have been made known to those it affects.[/quote]
You have to love the troll.
It was announced at the highest level, the ACO is a small cog in a larger machine and this affects more than the ACO.
As for banging on about those who it affects, well, those people have two options -
put up with it and travel the extra distance. Additional costs will be picked up.
don’t travel and lose the slots. And who loses out, the cadets.
This has happened before; those of us old enough will remember the last major change in 1995/96 will remember Manston’s AEF moving to St Athan and flying slots for the whole London and SE area transferring to 5AEF. Did people moan? No, they just got on with it.[/quote]
Why is it trolling to as it seems, not accept failure? The fact that people seem to have done so is for them to reconcile. You can’t do anything about it, but it doesn’t mean you roll over for a belly rub. It remains extant (however much people say “tough it’s what’s happening”) that HQAC should have been telling those affected when it was announced internally, as it affects several thousand cadets and staff, just in terms of longer days out and not just by the 15-20 minutes each way as per routefinders. There have been numerous gripes about HQAC’s lack of communicating with the grassroots and here is another instance. But unfortunately we are where we are with the mandarins at HQAC and shouldn’t be surprised.
I don’t think anyone hasn’t been affected by the powers that be playing chess with things over the years with respect to flying and gliding. People affected do moan, but the powers that be know we have no other options.
