Bronze will be at the squadron level. Governance of the CAA qualifications is onerous and having thousands of instructors will never be manageable. We can obviously trickle train throughout the year to maintain the core that is built initially. This will be a national function to manage this.
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No. There are national criteria.
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Initially yes. Then it will be regional function led by the RAVnO
Girls Venture Corps ahead of us again I see 
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It’s what I think every single time I talk about that qual.
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Could this tie in with the BMFA or will it be independent?
Flying with BMFA is covered by the new policy, but as a completely independent activity.
Basically:
- Fixed wing remote controlled aircraft flying with BMFA
- multi-rotor (drone) flying with RAFAC.
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Who can remember a time when air cadet activities used to be simple?
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I can assure you that we are trying to make this as simple as it can be. Hence using the BMFA for this niche part of model flying.
The team are working hard behind the scenes to iron out all of the issues, make it accessible, and easy to do, before we go live. Otherwise it will be a shambles. We have digital systems in place now that will do all of the logging and mandatory paperwork automatically, making using the drones painless. This has taken time and significant effort to get this software approved for MoD use.
The first supervisors course will be training next month, with the first regional instructors course just after the new Year. It is frustrating for many of us that it has taken this long, but this is an enormous project with only two people working on it. We cannot move as quickly as we would like and I know that has led to frustrations. Sorry.
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Just seen that to join the region team and become a drone instructor, you need to be in uniform…
Now I don’t have a formal teaching qual, which is also required, so can’t apply anyway. But disappointing to see the uniform requirement, as I know there will be many CIs with formal teaching quals who are also keen drone pilots who might be interested. Way to alienate a large chunk of CFAV 
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This seems like a very strange limitation. Be interesting to hear the why behind it.
The formal teaching qual is also a very limiting factor, does it define what level of qualification and type?
The formal qual but I do understand, and accept. I would assume that would be a CAA requirement.
The email doesn’t specify exactly what course would be delivered.
I’m guessing here on the route that they are going but this doc from the CAA section 5.2 doesn’t mention a specific qual or requirement to be formally qualified so seems like a local rule they are using to avoid having to assess instructional ability:
Just gone back to the email, it says:
You must be -
- RAFAC uniformed staff
- Able and willing to support Region drones events 2-4 times a year across the Region
- Holder of a formal teaching qualification - this may be QTS, PTLLS, a CFS/CGS instructor course or anything that meets the requirements for the CAA Core Course (FI rating etc)
Wallop. How many CFAVs will have that??
My chat with ACO2 Gp, Cmdt RAFAC & OC2FTS Apr last year.
From my notes at the time:
Overall, policy will be as per existing CAA protocols, etc, with a “light” MAA oversight for associated safety, etc.
Some hope.
Maybe it’s to encourage those very people into uniform? Which would be all well and good, if part if an overall drive to make uniform the norm: rather than the current barriers to going into uniform.
Has the Certificate in Education & Training fully replaced PTLLS now?
Hi all,
The training qualification is a regulatory requirement. Happy to point you to CAP722 B. Where we have chosen to meet the gold standard.
The uniform requirement is something I’m happy to discuss if anyone wishes to email or call me. Not for here. All RPAS instructors are scaled for full MTP issue.
Despite what some people may think, we aren’t making stuff up !!
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Those assertions are entirely valid.
The MAA has little or no interest in this. The CAA however, have teams of manuals that we have to comply with.
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