As of 1st Aug 625 & 643VGS will both stand down and amalgamate with their co located squadrons 621 & 644 respectively will this benefit the delivery of ACO gliding? Will we see either of them back if suitable airfields become available Lyneham/Scampton? Thoughts?
Im not a big fan of the VGS dont get me wrong they do some good work getting cadets up in the air but they really wind me up! One of the cadets on my sqn is a staff cadet on a VGS and he struts around like he is Tom Cruise and is never on the Sqn at weekends as he is always at the VGS.
I took some cadets gliding the other week and all the staff are the same the only thing missing from that hanger was a sqn of Typhoons from the way they walk around. I even had one of them shout at one of my cadets for having a hat on the airfield. This wouldnt normally bother me as he was right but he should of asked then only 30mins later he was walking around the same place with a baseball cap on! :mad:
Prob not the best place to rant sorry!
[quote=“zinggy” post=8680]and is never on the Sqn at weekends as he is always at the VGS.[/quote]Good for him.
Well not really when all the other cadets put all the time in to events that raise cash for the sqn Im not saying he has to be at the sqn all the time but now and then would be nice
Oookay thanks for that? I guess he struts around like Tom Cruise in a similar way to some JL who think they are special forces snipers but maybe that’s down to the individual not the VGS system as a whole
True however in my dealings with VGS a good 90% are like it but a lot of my dealings with them come from when I used to service a lot of their equipment (Headsets, Flying clothing) when I was based at Brize they would come in and demand that they are a top priority when in they are infact bottom when aircraft are needed for ops saying that however maybe I am being a bit harsh and biased because of few people.
Back on topic please!
In the same vein why haven’t 645 & 635 VGSs amalgamated? They’re both at Topcliffe…
My pet dislike with the VGS (and I was staff for a short while at one) is the fact that cadets are seen as an interruption to the VGS Staff’s ‘Personal Flying Club’.
I’ve seen staff downright disrespectful to sqn staff who have brought cadets, unnecessarily rude to cadets and scrub a days flying for a ‘rain shower’ to go watch a few hours formula one in the HQ.
That said I know the majority of the staff want to do a good job and nothing beats seeing your cadets faces after their first flight - it’s just a shame the minority give the VGS’s a bad name.
Merging squadrons which are on the same site makes a lot of sense as theoretically you will have a bigger pool of staff to man flying days…
I’m guessing 635 & 645 are still able to deliver the level of service required, being able to operate with fewer staff in the Vigi set up. Don’t know about 643&644 but 621 & 625 were markedly different in size mean one was hitting output targets left right and centre while the other was struggling.
Seem to have to opposite of what aerobat is saying over this way as its normally the GIC / GS scrubbing flying because there might be a shower somewhere in England.
From what we all see and hear, it appears to be endemic throughout most, if not all VGS.
Again, I remind people this thread is NOT for discussing your personal issues with VGS staff. It is for discussion about the merger of VGS and whether or not this is harming the ACO.
I think the two are inter-related.
We should be proud and supportive of our VGS, our glider fleet and what the organisation achieves. Losing a number of VGS’s should be a big issue for everyone as even in its limited number it can be the only flying a cadet may do in say 5 years as a cadet.
Perhaps why people aren’t so worried is because the ACO and the VGS’s don’t work well together in some instances. The staff after all should be doing what they do for the same reason, whether thats flying the cadets or just driving the cadets to the VGS.
So with fewer units this should provide greater opportunities for standardisation of the cadet experience at the VGS alongside the regional model making it better all round?
Dont worry, it will be privatised soon. :whistle:
Does a merger mean that more cadets will get the opportunity to fly? If not, then it’s a cost cutting ruse and nothing more.
As for Regions ‘running’ gliding, God help us. This is just a reason to try and justify the existence for Regions.
I’d be dubious about Regions running a bath.
[quote=“glass half empty 2” post=8741]Does a merger mean that more cadets will get the opportunity to fly? If not, then it’s a cost cutting ruse and nothing more.
As for Regions ‘running’ gliding, God help us. This is just a reason to try and justify the existence for Regions.
I’d be dubious about Regions running a bath.[/quote]
There is a regional Gliding Officer (VRT) in the rank of Wg Cdr now! Anyone know what they do?
They are the RCs link to his asigned VGSs going round and helping out with admin issues along side which ever wing the VGS has been assigned to for there admin trail.
Well not really when all the other cadets put all the time in to events that raise cash for the sqn Im not saying he has to be at the sqn all the time but now and then would be nice[/quote]
Dry your eyes, it’s what was to be expected of him when his OC Sqn and OC wing signed his paperwork:
"AIR CADET PERSONNEL REGULATIONS, PERSONNEL INSTRUCTION 505, APPOINTMENT OF FLIGHT STAFF CADETS TO VOLUNTEER GLIDING SQUADRONS
…
- VGS requirements are normally to take precedence over Sqn/Contingent duties except where FSCs are required for attendance at ATC/CCF annual camps and other major scheduled events. In such circumstances, the OC of the cadet’s Sqn/Contingent is to give the OC VGS adequate warning."
In other words, the VGS has first dibs on him, since a) he’s needed to work, b) they’re spending a considerable amount of time, effort and money to train him to become a pilot.
At a guess, I’m going to say that the reason for the amalgamations are is more safety related, than cost cutting. The ACO has more Viking airframes than they can use because of the lack of suitable airfields, so it’s not a question of airframe shortage. And since the instructors only usually get paid home to duty allowances, the personnel cost savings would be minimal also.
The two squadrons maintain separate operations on the same airfields (Hullavington & Syerston). With all four of them being Viking squadrons, this would give them a couple of options- either all of them fly the same circuit (which would get too busy) or fly opposing circuits (which is is what they currently do and is also a little dicey when you might have two aircraft making their final turns to land onto more or less the same piece of real estate with their bellies exposed to each other: i.e. out of sight). I know the sqns have been doing it for years, and also had to operate alongside civilian/RAFGSA clubs too, but the folding of ACO gliding into 3FTS and the creation of the MAA has led to a huge change in the safety culture.