We are in violent agreement
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we have extensively trialled the NEO2 which is a great indoor and outdoor drone.
This gives the option of using inside for the time being and perhaps in the future, registering the drone for outdoor use if you get a locally qualified CFAV who can facilitate that.
more opportunities for lots of courses in the Summer hopefully.
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Is the Neo2 then classed as a “legacy” drone given the OM’s restriction of sub-100g drones for indoor unless legacy.
2 FTS – Operations Manual Indoor Drones V1.0
Drones for use indoors in RAFAC training are to be under 100g, must have a propellor guard, exchangeable batteries and preferably have an option of a slow flying mode.If units have legacy drones that are over 100g but less than 250g with appropriate space to use them safely, then they can apply to the RAvnO / Regional Drone Lead with an appropriate risk assessment for an exemption and permission to use them. Note, permission does not follow automatically and will be dependent on the case in the risk assessment.
See above
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Ohh, right 
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Is my understanding correct that indoor drones can be a. squadron owned and b. any model of drone that meets the safety requirements, not just the ones that are specifically listed with the spec cards?
edit: sorry, disregard a. I realise that "if units have legacy drones answers that one nicely!
Due to being on defence estate, we are limited to what can be operated leaving us no option but to look at the VR Drone pathway. The only system mentioned thats DE approved is the CoDrone EDU (JROTC) which is proving difficult to source in the UK.
We have tried to identify others, but it’s proving challenging. There is also the potential to use some mitigations, but this is ongoing work.
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This is where I get frustrated because I see colleagues flying all manner of aircraft (Inc DJI) on DE and they will be doing it “lawfully” so why can’t we? 
I fear someone’s gut feeling may think it’s a bad idea 
We can’t even afford VR stuff for our cadets, as we have to find £900 for something in the future (Joke)
We have a few irons in fires for grants so will hopefully be looking for VR and pc’s to get them into flying/gliding and drones before we need to look at the real alternatives.
There’s a few companies working in controllers etc that are UK/EU ‘sovereign’ including the raspberry pi people, but you’d probably be closer to developments there than I am.
The issue is often sourcing suitable motors from what I’ve seen.
VEX, the firm that makes the robotics kits some squadrons have, are also working on a UAV kit. Again the intent was to make it from friendly components as far as possible. I don’t know how far they have got with certifying that, however.
https://kb.vex.com/hc/en-us/articles/40444410952212-Overview-of-the-VEX-AIR-Drone-Kit
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DCCTs are a different kettle of fish. They are a range, with working weapons and better diagnostics than a live range.
Whilst I see your point, I’m sorry but RAFAC should be about getting young people out and about, not being stuck on computers.
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This is exactly why I am leaving. We are happy to just stick kids in front of computer screens now and pretend that’s as much fun as doing stuff properly. Flight Sim vs Real Flying for a start. Let’s just sell of the estate and run everything on teams from our bedrooms.
Did you miss the bit where @WestlandScout said VR was useful as a wet weather contingency, or to support alternative arrangements for someone with mobility issues?
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What wrong with doing things in the wet? Wet doesn’t kill people. The world does not stop because it’s wet. Yes of course we can use it as an alternative, but at the moment its seems to be default thinking. Giving away flying wings when a cadet has never flown for example.
Requirements for Blue Wings:
- First Class - Flying Operations
- Session on a Simulator with a trained instructor
- AEF or GIC Flight
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Have you ever asked the cadets what they want ? What excites a gen A cadet, might not be what worked for us, or what we think they should do.
In terms of rain, we won’t be flying the majority of our drones in the rain. Whilst a light shower may not impact it immediately, it will cause a reduction in motor life.
Space to fly lots of cadets will always be a challenge and as we did at NASC, many used simulators to learn motor skills whilst they waited to fly the real thing.
Flying drones is about flying outdoors primarily, but as we launch this capability that’s just not going to be possible for everyone. Whether it be access to equipment or a site to fly safely. But crucially we want everyone to gain their FLYER ID, the gateway qualification that allows them to fly outside legally. Everything in our plans stems from this and removing barriers to entry for this qualification is key to outdoor flying. Without it we can’t do anything.
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A trap lots of staff fall into. It’s never going to be the same as it was for those of us who were cadets during the Cold War and shortly after (in my case) and trying to cling onto that as the cadet experience isn’t helping anyone. Nor does it help to impose a syllabus based as close as possible on what we did as Cadets without actually asking the Cadets what they want.
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Have you asked them? Are you on a Squadron? Do you have day-to-day expereince of working with the cadets? Genuine question.
Has this organisation ever sent out a cadet survey to see what the cadet want? No, we are driven by the RAF given mission - “You WILL BECOME a STEM and CYBER based youth organisation”. The RAF have never asked what the cadets and young people WANT to do. But from my experience, greens and multi-activitiy camps are the most popular activities now.