I’ve been thinking recently about how we recognise the achievements of cadets who partake in RC Flying and the truth is, we don’t. When you take in to consideration the sheer amount of core skills that it, as a subject, puts in to practice, such as airmanship, principles of flight etc, I really can’t understand why it’s not a widely supported area of ATC training.
I’ve been in the ACO for almost 10 years and until I recently became a training officer I knew close to nothing about the subject. With the current state of flying and gliding surely we should, as an organisation, be encouraging RC Flying. It doesn’t make sense to me that a cadet can take control of a glider with an experienced pilot sitting just centimetres away and be awarded wings to wear while other cadets are displaying large scale RC aircraft to the general public at airshows yet receive no badge at all. I’m looking for people’s opinions on this. To be clear, I’m not anti wings for gliding or flying, obviously, just pro-wings or badge in recognition of RC Flying achievements.
Maybe we could issue a shooting badge for playing call of duty?
There may well be scope for an “other” range of badges that could recognise the minor, niche activities like RC flying. We already have a Nijmegen badge all on its own and I’d actually class Radio in the same range of activities. I’d suggest though that there would be 1 or maybe 2 slots on the brassard for these minor activities and cadets could choose which badge they wore in the slot.
It’s not a bad idea,
If I remember correctly they have bronze, silver and gold certificates for rc flying
So they could have corresponding award badges
Well if we are giving away music badges simply for being able to play an instrument (but not necessarily ever within the ACO) then I suppose anything goes.
Flying most RC aircraft is a flying skill which is actually far harder than basic pure flying (if you were to take out all the management, airmanship considerations etc). I speak having done both (and a proud owner of BMFA B certificate!).
That said, there is no need for Recognition. The BMFA provide a more than adequate achievement scheme that a local club would surely be willing to support, and the RAFMAA provide service support to RC (and free flight) activities.
Thanks for your input. I agree, for the most part. I certainly don’t disagree that the civilian organisations like the BMFA have their own certificates and ways of recognising experience but then again so does DofE, First Aid, Shooting clubs etc. If a cadet, as part of the aco, achieves something in RC Flying then the least we can do as an organisation is recognise their commitment to achieve that.
I realise that RC Flying isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and until very recently it certainly wasn’t mine. As I said, it’s just a thought. But I’m glad to see that people aren’t totally object to it.
You can recognise achievement without a badge for everything. DofE is a special case and gliding and powered flying wings have a service equivalent, so the “junior” version has its place on a uniform. Start having badges for everything else and you start entering into cub scout territory…
Prune presents an interesting example too. The RPAS wings haven’t been met with the universal approval of all those who own a pair of RAF pilot wings. The similarity in design (in all but one colour) has put a few peoples noses out of joint!
I have a certain admiration for some of the fantastic RC models I’ve seen.
Though, every time someone talks about pilot wings something niggles me. I always recall a chap I once met who had an Irving leather flying jacket with various patches and a set of “Radio Control Pilot” wings which he used to wear everywhere. It was all just a touch Walty (maybe biased on this point because the guy was a complete tool).
But, one could easily debate whether drone pilots are in a similar league…
In the ATC though I can’t help but think that if recognition were deemed appropriate for achievement in model flying, a small brassard badge would be more fitting than a set of wings.
At the end of the day, what reason is there to not celebrate the achievements?
Why not buy a few trainer RC aircraft as a wing/sqn and run days flying them? could be run along something like shooting etc in the correct area and precautions.
I wouldn’t say DofE is a special case. Shooting has a badge as does first aid and recognition of musical achievement. I just find it baffling that a cadet can wear a musician badge even if they don’t play in an ATC band. One of my Cdt NCOs has one for singing in school. Again, not object to that but we can’t as an organisation issue so many badges for things achieved outside the atc then not issue them for the very same reason.
I just can’t understand how someone can complete QAIC and get a blue lanyard, yet another cadet can fully assemble an RC aircraft, display it at a public airshow and be formally recognised by civvy organisations and the very Corps that ran the activity fails to recognise that in any way.
As for the RAF Drone pilot wings putting noses out of joint, this annoys me. It would actually annoy me if I was a Drone pilot being issued blue wings. RAF pilots are issued their wings on completion of EFT on the Tutor. They don’t get their wings for flying their fighters or helicopters or tankers. Drone pilots also complete EFT so they should be issued, in my eyes, with the same wings as everyone. The RAF have never discriminated people with insignia based on how they are streamed post EFT before so why start now? Fact is that Drone pilots are as qualified an raf pilot as anyone else with wings.
Only difference is, as a drone pilot the only flight danger you face is the A/C stopping in the drone cabin. As a pilot, most are worried about Gravity winning.
I would argue that QAIC is considerably harder than flying a RC aircraft, thereby justifying cadets who’ve completed it being awarded a lanyard.
I see what the argument is but if we start handing out badges for every activity are we not in danger of becoming rather like scouts? There’s no insignia for those cadets with AT qualifications nor a plethora of other qualifications and as you say there’s already a means of recognising RC flying talent through certificates. What’s the need for a badge?
Wings are awarded on successful completion of BFJT (Linton), MERW (Shawbury) or ME AFT (Cranwell). They are not formally confirmed and permanently awarded until an OCU is successfully completed.
Hence the above is not true. They are two very different jobs. One can be posted to multiple types (including RPAS) and offer very great versatility in comparison to the other, which is confined to a single type, and doesn’t actually fly.
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