Page 20 - Cadet review Summer 2022

CEY Wing ATC
GLIDING SCHOLARSHIP
By Cadet Sergeant Andrew Prole, 739 (Scarborough) Squadron
What was the course like and what did it consist of?
The gliding scholarship took place at RAF Syerston in Nottinghamshire where the RAF and Air cadets have a large presence, this was especially noticed as many of the flight staff cadets and my fellow course mates were from large CCF and ATC squadrons with up to 400 cadets and direct linkages to the RAF.
The course was 9 days with all accommodation and food provided for £35 although £15 of that was used for a 644 Squadron meal at a local pub. The accommodation was at RAF College Cranwell, and we all had individual rooms.
The course consisted of 11 exercises to complete including a solo flight at the end (assuming we were good enough) and each one had a group briefing
to familiarise ourselves with the topic and what we would do in the exercise, however none of it came as a surprise as we were emailed the entire exercise trainee guide before the course to read through and revise from.
Every morning there was an entire squadron brief which discussed the weather and the day plan in great depth which we were always involved in which made us feel part of the VGS team. The staff were all incredibly friendly and were always ready to help and provide guidance to us on anything from flying to caring for the aircraft and making the perfect cup of tea.
Each day we had breakfast at 7 and travelled in a minibus to RAF Syerston (about 45 minutes) over this
The staff were all incredibly friendly and were always ready to help and provide guidance to us on anything from flying to caring for the aircraft
time many songs were song and played. Then we would prepare the gliders by polishing the canopies and helping our instructors check the aircraft. We would then have a morning briefing with the weather and flight plans for the day and then walk out the aircraft for flying. After around 4-7 launches which were constant learning, we would either stop for lunch or help out on the ground with attaching cables and launching aircraft. After lunch we would keep helping until our next sortie for the day which would be more learning before putting the aircraft away and cleaning them and going back to Cranwell for dinner. Then we would socialise and revise at the Lawrence club.
Experience
The staff at 644 VGS were all volunteers and were some of the friendliest and most welcoming people
I have ever met. They were always ready to provide assistance and advice on everything and there
was a real family dynamic between the staff. The instructors would try to remain teaching the same cadet throughout the course and because of that all of us on the course grew a friendship and greater appreciation for each of our instructors individual-
ly. They were also excellent teachers who worked tirelessly to help us and guide us through the course, especially toward the end when everything we learned came together and the workload increased as we grew more tired. Each instructor catered
20 CADET REVIEW SPRING 2022