Yup. Auto correct. Normally I get cross about that
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Accursed auto correct.
Let its name be damned throughout history.
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It’s a real shame that the ATC removed the time served promotion for Flying Officer to Flight Lieutenant. We have two excellent Flying Officers, that are very unlikely to be promoted. And due to our location they can’t transfer to another unit.
Especially as Flt Lt is almost the default rank for officers in the RAF, yet an average serviceman is very unlikely to reach the rank of WO.
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I don’t understand how it thinks I use the word ducking so often.
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I know what you’re saying but, at a guess, the logic is “senior staff” (by rank) have a breadth of experience having done a bit of everything (ish) so can talk with some authority based on personal experience…??
Depending on sqn / mini-bus drivers / location of AEF / sqn set-up (individuals’ TORs, etc), there may have been staff who have never taken cadets to AEF… Same for other aspects of the matrix.
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Additionally there’s “experience” and “relevant experience”.
Sitting in the crew room for 3 hours watching TopGun and supervising cadets doesn’t really give a Sgt anything which is necessary for them to be an effective FS.
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100% this.
Should be able to talk through the admin not necessarily attend
The only reason it’s on there is because it’s an activity loads of staff don’t want to do.
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I concur.
Don’t staff have to escort cadets to the aircraft in the Hi vis jackets when on AEF?
There are usually two standard staff roles: supervising the break room and managing the log.
Escorting seems to vary.
How things have changed. Thinking back to my summer as a FSC at 9AEF. We would receive the cadets and then the escorting staff would disappear for the morning whilst we did the escorting and supervision.
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Huge shame - it’s one of the very few AIR activities, & to me, should take a important priority for staff.
Doesn’t matter if they are “my” cadets or from another sqn, but seeing the massive grins & smiles when they get out of the aircraft after their first AEF (& for some, their first ever flight) is worth all the faff to get them there.
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Not where we take them.
Or are unable to do because the only slots are midweek and they can’t take a day off work…
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2AEF babcock do it
I did have to at Cosford though
i’d say this isn’t due to what the Cadets get out of it, but what the Staff do.
As indicated other than keeping tabs on the manifest log of who and when Cadets in which aircraft leave and return (and copy that information into their 3822) there is little else for Staff to do - even if they are “escorts” that isn’t much of a reason to be front of the queue to attend as Staff.
At a previous unit we were ALWAYS scheduled flights with a neighbouring Squadron who had an uber keen CI (and PPL holder) who insisted he was “qualified” to look after the manifest so for the rest of us Staff it was a case of being the bus driver for the Cadets getting them there and back with a little bit of delegation to keep the calm and tidy the crew shed at the end - but a switched on NCO was often able to do that!
there is a small chance Staff will get a flight yes I admit, but that’s a small chance and rightly so given to the least experienced Staff which puts me in the lower half of the list, its a long way to go (over an hours round trip) knowing all i am likely to do is watch a film once i am there
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This has been my experiences of AEF, really.
The escorting staff have 3 roles - chaperone the squipper, supervise the troops, and managing the log. If there is a dearth of staff cadets, they manage the log.
Otherwise it’s Operation: trynottofallasleep. It’s hard to see what that experience offers that is vital to a promotion.
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I’ve seen Plt Off to Sqn Ldr achieved in 6 years.
MB