We would like some answers please.

Dear Sir,

As you may be aware Volunteer Gliding Squadrons up and down the country have been disbanded with no forewarning. For two years we have waited patiently whilst various issues were being resolved. We tried to stay optimistic and enthusiastic, with many VGS staff visiting local ATC squadrons to deliver training on the principles of flight.

The disbandment of many Volunteer Gliding Squadrons came as such a shock. Sir, I am angry that we have been treated this way. I am shocked and appalled that we found out through social media rather than through the correct channels. I am in disbelief that we have had no apology about this and that there have been no thanks for our hard work and commitment. Instead we just get told that change is part of the RAF and that we need to deal with this and move on.

I agree that change is inevitable. However, when squadrons get disbanded in the RAF or stations get closed, I believe that they do get some forewarning and that they don’t just get left in limbo. Those people are allowed to continue their jobs and fly their aircraft until the date given for the disbandment. In our case, we have been left and given false promises. We will have no final furore; instead we will have to pack our VGS up and wave goodbye to our stations.

Sir, how did this get released onto social media so quickly whilst squadron OCs were left waiting for phone calls? How was it posted onto Parliament’s website before we were given a chance to understand what was happening? Why has there been such a lack of compassion. A VGS is like a family, we are more than a cadet unit. Every single CGI and FSC on a VGS has works incredibly hard and has given up so much time to teach cadets the magic of flight. We have given up week after week and most weekends. The majority of us have given that time for free. Some members of the VGS community have been with us for 50 years; they have given us every single weekend and have missed many family moments so that young cadets do not get let down. What do they get in return? They get told that they are no longer required, that not all of the VGSs are needed. I am still yet to see an apology or a thank you.

I have been part of a VGS for 8 years now and in that time I have flown almost 300 cadets. I was a B2 instructor on the Viking and a Grade 1 on the Vigilant. I was part of 611 and 616 VGS, two of the squadrons that are to be disbanded. I have given thousands of hours of my time ensuring that I have given back to the organisation all that I gained from it. I have worked so hard Sir. I, like hundreds of others feel hugely disgruntled by this recent news and although I understand that there has to be budget cuts surely the way in which we received this news should have been more appropriate.

There are going to be a large number of cadets who will have very little opportunity to gain gliding experience. Northern Ireland has lost their only VGS and Wales has lost both of theirs. Scotland now has only 1 VGS. Having flown at Kirknewton I know that they have had many issues with their airfield, they have also moved to Arbroath airfield for parts of the summer. This would lead to a limited flying season at Kirknewton where even less cadets would be flown. Also the distances that cadets would have to travel would be immense. Yes they could attend camps and gain their flying experience that way – but it still means that there will be large swathes of cadets who will never get to experience the thrill of soaring flight.

I feel that the majority of the VGS community would like some answers. We would like some clarification as to why it is certain VGSs that have closed. What is the rationale for the closure of those sites? Why has it taken so long to come to this decision, and why was it released the way it was? Do the people that make these decisions have any idea of the impact? I know that the chances of having this decision overturned are very little, but I truly believe that the big picture has not been looked at here. I feel that the decision has been made to go for the cheapest option. I feel that there has been little care put into this and that the situation has been handled incredibly badly. I feel that the people at the top of our chain have not fulfilled their obligations and they has done very little for the volunteers that have worked tirelessly for them. Even in the pause we were given promises of extra training and flying opportunities, none of that came into fruition. Sir, we are angry and upset and we have been for two years now.

Do you think that staff from the disbanded squadrons will want to go to other VGSs? Do you think that we will have the same opportunities that we had before? I still can’t quite work out how long the recovery program for the remainder of the fleet will take. Trying to retrain to account for the skills fade for the sheer number of instructors who haven’t flown for two years is going to be a mammoth task alone. When will cadets fly again?

We are heartbroken and we would like an apology. We would like to be thanked for our hard work, our enthusiasm and for the impact that we have had on so many young people’s lives. We have been the catalyst for so many people. We have given so many young people the opportunity to taste flight. I would never have been able to afford to fly without the VGS. I have achieved things that I only ever dreamed of. I have broken female stereotypes and shown that a girl can achieve anything. I have inspired and encouraged other young women to try flying. Many of my VGS friends have become airline pilots and RAF pilots, and gaining their Gliding Scholarship wings was the first step onto their chosen career path. The Air Cadets offers such a diverse range of activities which would usually be out of the price bracket of many people. Teaching young people how to fly has also taught them confidence, pride and recognition that they can do anything. I am a teacher and a Head of Year, my last assembly was based on flying and I told my students that if I can teach a young person to fly in a week, imagine what they can do in 4 weeks. I have held many conversations with young people about this and it saddens me that not one person sitting in that hall in front of me will ever have the opportunity to experience what I have experienced.

We may just be volunteers, and that might not mean much, but we are the lifeblood of flying in the ACO. We are the ones who have given back so much to the organisation. We are the ones who put the ‘Air’ into the Air Cadet Organisation. We are the ones that show young people that being a pilot is possible and we are the ones who are ready to give young people huge responsibilities.  ACO squadrons also give responsibilities and they give time but do they send 16 year old cadets solo? Do they train 17 year old cadets to take GIC flights? I am immensely proud of my VGS flying career and it deeply saddens me that I will never get the chance to instruct on the fleet again.

Sir, I know that you may not have all of the answers and I know that you have very little control over the situation but please, for the many heartbroken volunteers up and down country could you please look into this and provide us the answers that we have been looking for.