It’s not happening right now, but is the proposed new structure. Apparently a “Working group” of people around the wing will be finalizing details over the next ~3 months.
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So the ‘flight commanders’ push all the admin upwards, not our job guv!
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Not my wing, so I can’t comment on the specific plans, but I would imagine that there is very little of “on unit” admin that can be pushed upwards, aside from the OCs sign offs on RAs, activities etc.
Which means the “Flight Commanders” will still get all of the crap, whilst possibly losing the ability to sign off activities they want to do.
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Who in their right mind would want to take on the day to day admin of 4 or 5 units?
Bad enough just one!
This doesnt sound right to me.
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This comes about when you run out of staff.
Locally sectors have failed and are now no longer used. Other wings and gone the while mini wing concept with sector WOs etc which has just sucked away staff from Sqn level.
Yes the ACF use this model but mainly as they don’t have the staff as we do.
If an ATC wing is considering this model then it’s a sign that the wing has failed considerably in its leadership & its recruitment strategy & has done no long term planning.
Just to add that we are still in covid recovery mode & we won’t see a return to numbers until 2025 - in effect until the covid cadets have aged out, we will still have tough times.
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There is a lot to be said for Sector Training programmes and Sector SME’s as long as the Sector is close enough to work together. It wouldn’t work in the Highlands but could work well in any of the cities or even counties where squadrons are on top of each other.
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Sounds like Sussex. Could work very well there.
Brighton has 225, 226 (Brighton number one and two) as well as 176(Hove) a couple of miles away. Couple that with Shoreham not too far either.
Most squadrons there are on top of each other. Could easily handle that with that idea.
Although… Judging from recent actions of some down there it may not work as intended.
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The question id ask, given theres an endemic uniformed staff shortage. How are the extra 14 wing primary appointments going to get signed off by region or HQAC? The business case to remove staff from Sqn for this just doesnt make sense in my head.
I also don’t see anyone volunteering to be sector adjutant and have to deal with the paperwork for 5 or 6 squadrons. It’s more than enough to be getting on with on one squadron! Nobody likes admin that much
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From what I can see from the ACF experience and our work in sectors, it could be aiming to fill gaps or be more effective in producing training at above Squadron level but with caveats.
As far as the ACF goes, at least round my way:
- ACF detachments are (usually) smaller than Squadrons and do a lot more weekends training at Coy level
- they have,
At least in our area, more detachments and closer together - they have a Coy OC (major), trg off (Cpt), not sure about an adj. They do have a civilian admin assistant who also does a lot of the QM duties, these are paid full time RFCA staff
- they have physical Coy HQs with stores
- MT is at company level, and MOD/RFCA not unit charitable purchase
- funds administered at Coy level
From an ATC point of view in my sector as an example we have probably a 90 minute journey from one side of the sector to the other. But we have at least 3 units in a different sector each under 30 minutes away. And a lot more under 90 minutes.
From what I’ve seen working with 1 or 2 local squadrons works well enough, otherwise it might as well be Wing, with the Sectors the unloved middle child.
In some areas boosting sectors might work but downgrading Squadrons to flights - I’m unconvinced.
Not sure moving staff is even feasible unless they are doing it that way because units don’t currently have an OC/adj.
Depends if it comes with a promotion…
Apply, be appointed, get the promotion, throw yourself into the role for 6 months, start to burn out, get put in a non challenging wing role, spend the rest of the CFAV service as one of those wing roles that somehow stay on the books without offering any useful output…
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All im taking from this is, what a terrible solution to a problem that may or may not exist.
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Does this mean that new flight commanders as OCs, if what are in effect detached flights are to be down ranked to Flying Officer and WSOs to Flight Lieutenant, and commensurate rank reductions to SNCOs?
Just think of the VA cost savings!
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This sounds utterly hideous.
Does this chime in with the movement of Civ-Coms funds to a Wing level? The future move, you are all now part of a new structure and your funds raised go to the central point. If no-one fund raises will they get a portion of funds that others have raised?
Lots of things here that may just trip up the HQAC agenda here such as ownership of non-public stores and equipment. Will HQAC want that to come under the ‘super’ squadron commander for use by all flights equally no matter who actually owns it?
I think the HQ agenda is “get a handle on the ATC”.
Considering the empires, the egos & the changes in policies & how some volunteers run full chaos without even playing lip service is there any wonder that that the hub is suspicious.
This is unfortunately the result of people not being challenged & difficult problems being swept under the carpet.
Unfortunately I lost faith in the volunteer chain of command a long time ago & now if I have a problem only go to them.
It’s a sad state but unfortunately the volunteers cannot be trusted.
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All or just some, if the latter, then they as individuals should have been challenged and dealt with. Seems unfair to paint all with the same brush?
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That’s a fair point & I should have said “in general”
To be sweeping, there are a number of volunteers who are mavericks who are a liability.
There a load of other volunteers who are doing roles that shouldn’t be due to their lack of training, experience or due to the complexity of the role that has been unfairly dumped in the volunteer.
These volunteers are doing the best of a bad situation, often working harder than they should be due to the mavericks & the lazy. They need support & they need to be doing less than they are especially if the task is something that should be done by HQ.
From a HQ perspective the good volunteers are getting lost in the noise created by the bad.
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They have a choice, demand training or say no, but then the emotional blackmail starts with your Squadron will close, or won’t anyone think of the cadets?
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Only if they ACTUALLY DO THINGS outside Sqn nights