A major part of your time will be spent carrying out ground duties safely and efficiently to enable a smooth flying operation.  You will learn to drive on the airfield, if you cannot already do so, and how to carry out Daily Inspections of Land Rovers, the winch and launching cables.  Your role will include carrying out other tasks throughout the day, including retrieving cables and gliders as well as operating the winch.  Flying training for U/T Instructors focuses on increasing accuracy, skill and judgment, with safety at all times being the key consideration.  Training consists of dual consolidation flying with a senior instructor, as well as more solo flying.

                                                             ZE626 on finals                                   FSC Rich Williamson                    FSC Sam Cartwright                        ZE521 & ZE562

Grade 2 Pilot (G2)

A number of qualifications must be held before a U/T Instructor can take the test for G2 status.  You must be competent to retrieve gliders and cables, have a certificate of competence for winch driving and hold a RAF FMT 600 driver's permit.  Having satisfied these conditions as well as the minimum number of dual and solo flights you will be eligible to be tested for G2 status by either the Officer Commanding or Chief Flying Instructor.  Training then continues towards the award of the Grade 1 Pilot qualification.

Grade 1 Pilot (G1)

Your training towards the award of the G1 qualification will build up your experience of different runways and weather conditions.  You will learn to fly from the rear seat for the first time and how to deliver the GIC 1, 2 and 3 exercises.  When you have completed the minimum number of dual and solo flights you will be eligible to be tested for the award of G1 status by either the Officer Commanding or Chief Flying Instructor.  On successful completion of the checks you will be able to carry your first student and start to pass on your knowledge to junior cadets.  Your training will continue towards recommendation for attendance at a C Category Instructor training course at the Air Cadet Central Gliding School.

Flight Staff Cadets Matt Good, Harley Brockhouse & Adam Hoskin.    FSC Ruth Rockley & Midshipman Hannah Best RN (ex FSC)       FSC Adam Hoskin with his 1st GIC trainee May 07

C Category Instructor (C Cat)

As a C Cat you will teach GS students on all ground school and flying exercises up to recommendation for the checks that a student must undertake with a senior Instructor just prior to their first solo.

Cpl Jenna Sellars with her instructor CGI Zita Morris before & after her first solo in Apr 04, as a G1 with her 1st GIC trainee & as a C category CGI with her first GS trainee in Sep 06
 

ALL THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED WHILST YOU ARE STILL A CADET OR BY NEWLY RECRUITED ADULT STAFF

GARRY VITTA

When Garry Vitta joined us as a trainee Civilian Gliding Instructor, aged about 40, he had no flying or gliding experience having served as a Royal Marine in the Falklands, Cyprus and Northern Ireland.  He moved to Cornwall as a police officer and was persuaded by a colleague to take up gliding.  Garry progressed to being a B Category instructor over a period of 6 years and is now qualified to supervise the gliding operation, authorise flights and check trainees prior to their second and subsequent solo flights.  During that time Garry has qualified for his Private Pilot's Licence and has recently been commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the RAFVR(T).

Some of our ex-cadets have achieved in other ways, for example:

MARTIN KEER

Squadron Leader Martin Keer RAF

Martin, now aged 33,  flew with us as a Cadet, Flight Staff Cadet and Civilian Gliding Instructor between 1990 and 1994.  He achieved the C Instructor Category before joining the Royal Air Force where he trained on the Firefly, Tucano and Hawk prior to flying the Tornado GR1.  Martin flew the Tornado on many exercises around the world, including in the USA, Singapore and Norway.  Whilst with Number 12 (Bomber) Squadron he flew operational missions from Kuwait in support of the southern no-fly zone in Iraq.  Martin became a flying instructor in 2002 and instructed on the Hawk at RAF Valley in Wales.  In 2004 Martin was selected as the Royal Air Force exchange officer to serve with the Royal Australian Air Force Central Flying School.  He has over 2500 hours flying experience and has flown (during 2006) as Roulette Two with the Royal Australian Air Force Display Team.

Martin Keer & Roulettes photos © Commonwealth of Australia see http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/roulettes/index.htm

Martin has now returned to the UK and is an instructor with XV Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth.  He brought a Tornado to Families Day at RAF St Mawgan on 30 Aug 07.

                                                                 Sqn Ldr M Keer RAF                         Take-off 1                                 Take-off 2                                 250 feet, 500 knots

JAMES COLEMAN

James, now aged 32, flew with us as a Cadet, Flight Staff Cadet and Civilian Gliding Instructor between 1991 and 2001.  He achieved the C Instructor Category before work commitments forced him to leave the organization.

James completed an ATPL course at Bournemouth before joining Channel Express in November 1998.  He flew the Fokker F27 for a year and a half then transferred to the Lockheed Electra for a further year and a half.  In December 2001 James moved to the Boeing 737 as first officer/co-pilot.  Channel Express changed its name in 2004 to jet2.com with the changing emphasis from cargo and charter flying to mainly passenger flying, but retaining considerable mail contracts for the Royal Mail.  Jet2.com also operates Boeing 757s serving such exotic destinations as the Canary Islands, and from 2008 Cyprus and Crete.  By June 2005 James gained command of the Boeing 737 and now flies an average of 600 hours a year.

James’ career has resulted in him gradually moving further away from his beloved Cornwall - after Bournemouth he moved to Stansted and has ended up in Leeds where the airfield, at 682 feet above sea level, causes him to make many crosswind landings in the somewhat inclement weather encountered during the winter and occasionally in the summer (a bit like “sunny” Cornwall!).  James says that Leeds is a great place to fly as most days are a challenge with it being a relatively short and undulating runway (unlike the Predannack main runway at 6,000’).

James says that one of the most amazing things about flying a commercial jet is letting the aircraft computers autoland the aircraft in fog, in which he can land in as little as 200 metres visibility with a decision height of just 50 feet above the runway!  But he never forgets his early gliding and flying experiences with the Air Cadet Organisation.  These put him in the ideal position to start a career in commercial flying.  So, if military aviation is not for you, with the right motivation and family support perhaps civilian flying is an option?