[quote=“xab” post=19456][quote=“juliet mike” post=19373]By the way, full bore shooting age limit has gone. L98 now any age. New ACTO came out last Friday.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote]
That’s very interesting…I wonder when the SATTs are going to tell us that…?[/quote]
i’m still waiting to hear how to use the Shooting SMS application…
to be honest i doubt it will make a great deal of difference. based on our recent intake i wouldnt put anyone forward to training given they simply wont have the ability to cock the weapon…
the removal of the line helps avoids a black and white wait for any 12 yrs old to shooting, but the driving force is still OCs approval based on mental and physical state…
That’s nothing new. I can remember cadets struggling with the SLR when I was a cadet and in my early staff days. The worry is now unless a replacement comes up for the N°8, the primary live weapon will be the L98.
But given that I can’t see gliding ever being the same after this period of not giving up weekends, gliding instructors may well find there is more to life and there are rumblings that AEFs are struggling to get pilots at the weekends after the long lay off due to the propellor problems. Will we be recruiting on false hope of flying, as we knew it?
When it comes to shooting qualifications they are, if our Wing Shooting bods are to be believed, becoming more difficult to pass and the SAAI contains elements that are irrelevant to the ATC, as such fewer people to train and test cadets. Also if what they imply is correct shooting will disappear up its own sphincter of compliance. We can do FMS just nothing over night. It’s been two months since the ban and still no sniff of a solution.
I’m all for lowering the age, but looking at it in the cold light of day, when they join and ask the other cadets about things, it’s not going to be a rosy picture.
When it comes to shooting qualifications they are, if our Wing Shooting bods are to be believed, becoming more difficult to pass and the SAAI contains elements that are irrelevant to the ATC, [/quote]
Not sure what is irrelevant on the course. We only teach the lessons required to operate the L98 safely and effectively.
If people are telling you what they learn on the SAAI course is irrelevant, I would suggest they report to CTT to have their qualification shredded.
It is a requirement from the PAM, the controlling document for shooting in the ACO that Training, WHTs and LFMT are carried out with participants wearing webbing. If your RCOs and SAAIs arnt wearing it for their 6 monthly WHTs I am afraid they are no longer current on the weapon system.
I haven’t run a range practice, WHT or SAAI lesson without webbing for over 3 years. I’ll bet your guys are still loading in the prone position! They need to catch up. If the ACO is going to move forward with LMFT and blank exercises, then cadets and staff have to be trained by the PAM.
That’s nothing new. I can remember cadets struggling with the SLR when I was a cadet and in my early staff days. The worry is now unless a replacement comes up for the N°8, the primary live weapon will be the L98.
But given that I can’t see gliding ever being the same after this period of not giving up weekends, gliding instructors may well find there is more to life and there are rumblings that AEFs are struggling to get pilots at the weekends after the long lay off due to the propellor problems. Will we be recruiting on false hope of flying, as we knew it?.[/quote]
which is exactly my point…the removal of the age restriction has little/no effect in the grand scheme of things
I do think there is a massive missing the point to the issues I’ve raised.
If it is right that AEFs struggle to get pilots for cadet flying and while the glider fleet may be safer in the longer term, it will be even safer if they don’t fly, if a percentage of the instructors/pilots we have find there is more to weekends etc than flying gliders.
If there is an imposition to barriers percieved or real (the former is more dangerous) for aspects of what we do, we can do whatever we like to the joining age, if when they join the message from the other cadets is not a positive one.
But I do get a worrying underlying sense that many regard barriers, to staff doing things, getting the required qualifications or uniform status as a good thing.
For those without access seeing as the document has no restrictive markings -
[quote=“SO1”] CADET JOINING AGE
With effect from 1st August 2014 the regulations specifying cadet joining age will change. ACP 20 PI 501, AP 1919 para 402 and JSP 814 have been or will be amended. Other ACPs and regulations are being revised as a result of this change.
The new regulation is as follows:
A young person who is over 12 years of age becomes eligible to join the Air Cadet Organisation from the start of school year 8 in England and Wales, year S2 in Scotland and Year 9 in Northern Ireland. In addition any young person becomes eligible to join when they reach 13 years of age regardless of their school year. A person can not join after their 17th birthday.
[/quote]
In reference to Staff Cadets, there is no change at the present time but as per your link the Comdt has highlighted that their will be a review of 18+ service, and has previously mentioned this in her column in Air Cadet. Consider that we are the only Cadet Force with 18+ service, as the ACF are removing their curious 18.9 limit, and reducing to a straight 18 for all.
Should 18+ service be removed then I believe that the rank of CWO should also be abolished, however I can also see a potential move back to required rank for continued service, as was the case pre- LASER Review. The organisation has a lot to offer to our senior cadets, with QAIC & JL developed especially for them, and it would be a shame to see that element of lost.
I think CWO should now be lost as a rank, as old time CWO now it is only something to add to the collection. The majority aren’t in post long enough to be what I would call proper CWOs. The only element pre LASER Review was CWO to continue cadet service between 20 and 22.
Nonsense JL and QUAIC are far too selective and require cadets who effectively do nothing outside the Corps. I’ve had several cadets show interest but, the fact they work part-time has put them off. It’s hard enough for them to get odd days off at weekends, shuffle shifts or do a bit then go to work for things at sqn and up to Region level, so JL or QUAIC with the initial selection process and then attendance requirement has been out of the question. There is nothng truly inclusive / open to all over 18s, that doesn’t require some sort of selection process or acceptance criteria. I’ve only known one cadet do JL and one do QUAIC, the one who did JL had a day job but struggled to get there at times and the other binned his job and was bankrolled by mum and dad according to their CO. I don’t have any parents able to even consider that. The older cadets I have (16+) work out of need.
Nonsense JL and QUAIC are far too selective and require cadets who effectively do nothing outside the Corps. I’ve had several cadets show interest but, the fact they work part-time has put them off. It’s hard enough for them to get odd days off at weekends, shuffle shifts or do a bit then go to work for things at sqn and up to Region level, so JL or QUAIC with the initial selection process and then attendance requirement has been out of the question. There is nothng truly inclusive / open to all over 18s, that doesn’t require some sort of selection process or acceptance criteria. I’ve only known one cadet do JL and one do QUAIC, the one who did JL had a day job but struggled to get there at times and the other binned his job and was bankrolled by mum and dad according to their CO. I don’t have any parents able to even consider that. The older cadets I have (16+) work out of need.[/quote]
That is all to do with how many courses are run though! If there were enough staff willing to run things like QAIC and JL then more cadets would be able to attend. There is of course also the argument of investing that extra time into a cadet who isn’t fully committed to the ATC, but I think quiting a job is a little extream.