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AVolunteer Gliding Squadron (VGS) is anaircraft squadron of theRoyal Air Force (RAF) which provides flying training inglider aircraft forRoyal Air Force Air Cadets. All current operational Volunteer Gliding Squadrons operate a sole type of aircraft, theGrob G103A Twin II Acro, a conventional winch-launched tandem-seat sailplane known by its British military designation, Viking T1.
Since 2014, thesquadrons operate underNo. 2 Flying Training School, which was newly reformed for this purpose atRAF Syerston in Nottinghamshire, withinNo. 22 (Training) Group ofAir Command.[1] The nine currently operational squadrons, along with the Royal Air ForceCentral Gliding School, are standardised annually by theRoyal Air Force Central Flying School. Under theAir Cadet Organisation prior to 2010, Headquarters Air Cadets, based atRAF Cranwell, retains administrative support.
Each VGS is formed entirely of volunteer staff. They are headed by anOfficer Commanding, along with several executives, who are appointed by a Cadet Forces Commission in the Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC).[2][3] Instructors are a mixture of regular Royal Air Force /Royal Navy /British Army service personnel, reservists, RAFAC personnel, retired Royal Air Forcepilots, Civilian Gliding Instructors, and Flight Staff Cadets.
Gliding was first introduced for theAir Defence Cadet Corps in1939, but formally became part of official training with theAir Training Corps in1942. From 1946, eighty-seven Gliding Schools (GS) came under the Reserve Command.
Initially, the Gliding Schools were established underRAF Reserve Command, later to becomeRAF Home Command. In 1955,RAF Flying Training Command took over the responsibility, and amalgamated them into twenty-seven Gliding Schools under Headquarters Air Cadets. At the same time, the Gliding Schools were all renumbered with three-digit numbers, the first two digits being the parent Home Command Group (Nos. 61, 62, 63, 64, 66, or 67).[4] In 1968,RAF Training Command was established, incorporating Flying Training Command. In1977, Training Command was absorbed intoRAF Support Command, and then moved intoPersonnel and Training Command on its establishment in 1994, before being subsumed intoAir Command in March 2007, where the Gliding Schools are today controlled by.
Under Air Command, the chain of command for these units is throughNo.22 (Training) Group. On behalf ofAir Officer Commanding No.22 (Training) Group, the Volunteer Gliding Squadrons and the Central Gliding School are the responsibility of theofficer commandingNo. 2 Flying Training School.
Formulated in1946, the Home Command Gliding Instructors School (HCGIS) was established in 1949 atRAF Detling to train Qualified Gliding Instructors (QGI) for the Gliding Schools. With the disestablishment of Home Command, HCGIS was split into two Gliding Centres to accommodate the Gliding Schools in the north and south of the United Kingdom. A further reorganisation amalgamated the Gliding Centres into theCentral Gliding School (CGS) in 1972 atRAF Spitalgate, where it was renamed the Air Cadet Central Gliding School (ACCGS) in 1974. In 2009, following the formal approval of the CGS unit badge, the Air Cadet Central Gliding School was renamed the Royal Air Force Central Gliding School, and in 2010, restructured under No.1 Elementary Flying Training School (1EFT).
The CGS is commanded by a Royal Air ForceSquadron Leader, who also acts as OC Flying forRAF Syerston. The Chief Instructor is also an RAF Squadron Leader. The examiners of the CGS areFlight LieutenantRoyal Air Force Reserve (RAFR) and Squadron Leader RAFR officers, however all future appointments shall beRoyal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch) RAFVR(T) commissions.
The Royal Air Force chose to re-equip its ageing glider fleet with the first of the modernglass-reinforced plastic (GRP) gliders, and in1983, acquired an initial batch of tenSchleicher ASK 21, given the British military service nameVanguard TX1. The first examples were delivered to the Air Cadet Central Gliding School (ACCGS) at RAF Syerston in time for the new Instructors' courses to take place. The first VGS to equip with these was 618 VGS, based atRAF West Malling. Instructors from this unit were converted to the new training syllabus, and began flying the type during July and August of that year. The first Vanguard TX1s were delivered to West Malling in July 1983, and training for cadets began in August the same year.
After the initial ten were delivered,Alexander Schleicher was unwilling to open a production line for theMinistry of Defence (MoD), as they did not want to sideline their civilian market. A tender was issued,[when?] andGrob Aerospace was awarded the contract to supply one hundredGrob G103A Twin II Acro gliders.[when?] The RAF named the military variant as theViking T1 in Air Cadet service.[5] A single specimen was delivered toSlingsby Aviation in the UK for fatigue life testing.
TheSlingsby Falke motor glider, known in the Royal Air Force asVenture T1, was trialled at the Air Cadet Central Gliding School (ACCGS) atRAF Spitalgate from 1971 to 1973. Ten Glider Schools (GS) were first issued with the T1 variant in 1977, but were quickly upgraded with the TX2. The development of many sites andclosures of many RAF aerodromes put strain on many conventional VGS. Further GSs were allocated with the TX2s. In 1991, the Venture TX2 was replaced with theGrob G-109B motor glider, Royal Air Force nameVigilant T1. Originally designated the Vigilant TX1, the glider designation 'X' was dropped due to its change of role.
In 2000,Air Cadet Organisation (ACO)Chief of Staff (COS)Group Captain Mike Cross announced the sale of the Valiant TX1 and Kestrel TX1 fleets. This concluded the RAF's many successful years competing in national gliding competitions and setting world records.
Initially established asGliding Schools (GS), they were all re-designatedVolunteer Gliding Schools (VGS) in 1978. In 2005, following a decision by theRoyal Air Force Board, they were again renamedVolunteer GlidingSquadrons, thus keeping their VGS abbreviation.
Following the restructure in 2005, a further reorganisation was initiated in 2010 byAir Officer Commanding (AOC)22 Group RAF. On 1 April 2010, Command and Control, together with the responsibility for supervision and regulation of the Central Gliding School and the then twenty-seven Volunteer Gliding Squadrons, was moved from theAir Cadet Organisation (ACO) to the Directorate of Flying Training (DFT) under No. 1 Elementary Flying School RAF (No1 EFTS). A further restructure in December 2011 saw No1 EFTS absorbed intoNo. 3 Flying Training School (3FTS), together with a gliding branch of the school developed from No1 EFTS.
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With the introduction of the Grob Prefect T1 (RAF name for theGrob G 120TP, an update of the Tutor T1, notably with a glass-cockpit and retractable undercarriage) into UK Military Elementary Flying Training, the RAF's fleet of Grob Tutor T1 (Grob G 115) faced a reduction against the Vigilant T1 motor glider, due to competing roles for powered flying for Air Cadets. 22 Group decided the Vigilant T1 had to be withdrawn, to protect theAir Experience Flights (AEFs), which are operated by volunteer retired RAF officers, despite the Vigilant T1 motor glider's more capable role and potential to enable cadets solo flying. In April 2014, all Air Cadet Organisation gliding was abruptly halted under the auspices of 'airworthiness concerns'.Maintenance records managed by contractorSerco were found to be in disarray.[6] Flying resumed to a limited extent in 2016.[7]
In March 2016, a major restructuring of Air Cadet gliding and flying was announced,[8] resulting in the disbanding of fourteen Volunteer Gliding Squadrons, significant reduction of the Vigilant motor glider, a regional focus of remaining Viking squadrons, and an increase in TutorAir Experience Flight (AEF) flying. With the Vigilant due to be withdrawn from service in 2019, its retirement was brought forward to May 2018.[7] Two new AEF squadrons were to be formed.[citation needed]
A review of theDefence Estate, published in November 2016, confirmed the disbandments announced in March, and gave estimated dates for disposal of several sites.[9]
Despite the Vigilant T1 motor glider fleet being declared un-airworthy and uneconomical to return to the air, all sixty-three grounded Vigilant T1 were sold to Hampshire-based charity Aerobility, which works with people with disabilities and injured ex-military personnel. A number would be modified and refurbished for use by the charity, while the majority would be sold to support the charity.[10]
Staff of a Volunteer Gliding Squadron are part-time personnel (usually specifically appointed Cadet Forces Officers and civilians), supernumerary personnel (who are either regular or reservist members of theBritish Armed Forces or Cadet Force Volunteers), and Flight Staff Cadets.
Cadet Forces Officers are appointed to fulfil management positions mandated to operate a squadron. Civilians start under probation as Under Training Instructors; their probation ends on attaining B2 Category Qualified Gliding Instructor (QGI) status. Personnel typically attain a B1 Category QGI rating before qualifying for a Cadet Forces Commission for an intended appointment. Executive Officers (XOs) head the leadership of the Squadron asOfficer Commanding (OC), Chief Flying Instructor (CFI), and Deputy Chief Flying Instructor (DCFI).
Commissioned officer posts on VGS include:
Other appointed roles, which can be filled by commissioned or non-commissioned personnel include:
Supernumerary personnel are part-time staff whose primary appointment is elsewhere within the British Armed Forces, thus their VGS appointment is their secondary duty. They are from various commissioned and non-commissioned roles of the regular, reserve, and cadet forces.
Air Cadets from either theCombined Cadet Force (CCF) orAir Training Corps (ATC) can be appointed as Flight Staff Cadets (FSC) on a VGS. FSCs are selected, usually after completing Advanced Glider Training, from those who show potential to become Gliding Instructors. FSCs do not act as a substitute for VGS adult personnel, primarily providing ground support to the squadrons. However, they are able to progress to a B2 Category status (less the supervisory privileges).
Flying training is carried out to the syllabus of theRAF Central Flying School.Ab-initio training starts with three initial courses, followed with Basic Pilot Training to achieve flying grades.
The following pilot qualifications can be obtained on VGSs:
Instructor qualifications can be attained following the completion of a course at the Royal Air Force Central Gliding School:
Higher instructor qualifications can be attained following the completion of an examination by the Royal Air Force Central Flying School Gliding Examiners:
Additional ratings:
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