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Volunteer Gliding Squadron
A Volunteer Gliding Squadron (VGS) is an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF) which provides flying training in glider aircraft for Royal Air Force Air Cadets. All current operational Volunteer Gliding Squadrons operate a sole type of aircraft, the Grob G103A Twin II Acro, a conventional winch-launched tandem-seat sailplane known by its British military designation, Viking T1.
Since 2014, the squadrons operate under No. 2 Flying Training School, which was newly reformed for this purpose at RAF Syerston in Nottinghamshire, within No. 22 (Training) Group of Air Command. The nine currently operational squadrons, along with the Royal Air Force Central Gliding School, are standardised annually by the Royal Air Force Central Flying School. Under the Air Cadet Organisation prior to 2010, Headquarters Air Cadets, based at RAF Cranwell, retains administrative support.
Each VGS is formed entirely of volunteer staff. They are headed by an Officer Commanding, along with several executives, who are appointed by a Cadet Forces Commission in the Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC). Instructors are a mixture of regular Royal Air Force / Royal Navy / British Army service personnel, reservists, RAFAC personnel, retired Royal Air Force pilots, Civilian Gliding Instructors, and Flight Staff Cadets.
Gliding was first introduced for the Air Defence Cadet Corps in 1939, but formally became part of official training with the Air Training Corps in 1942. From 1946, eighty-seven Gliding Schools (GS) came under the Reserve Command.
Initially, the Gliding Schools were established under RAF Reserve Command, later to become RAF 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). In 1968, RAF Training Command was established, incorporating Flying Training Command. In 1977, Training Command was absorbed into RAF Support Command, and then moved into Personnel and Training Command on its establishment in 1994, before being subsumed into Air Command in March 2007, where the Gliding Schools are today controlled by.
Under Air Command, the chain of command for these units is through No.22 (Training) Group. On behalf of Air Officer Commanding No.22 (Training) Group, the Volunteer Gliding Squadrons and the Central Gliding School are the responsibility of the officer commanding No. 2 Flying Training School.
Formulated in 1946, the Home Command Gliding Instructors School (HCGIS) was established in 1949 at RAF 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 the Central Gliding School (CGS) in 1972 at RAF 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 Force Squadron Leader, who also acts as OC Flying for RAF Syerston. The Chief Instructor is also an RAF Squadron Leader. The examiners of the CGS are Flight Lieutenant Royal Air Force Reserve (RAFR) and Squadron Leader RAFR officers, however all future appointments shall be Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch) RAFVR(T) commissions.
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Volunteer Gliding Squadron
A Volunteer Gliding Squadron (VGS) is an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF) which provides flying training in glider aircraft for Royal Air Force Air Cadets. All current operational Volunteer Gliding Squadrons operate a sole type of aircraft, the Grob G103A Twin II Acro, a conventional winch-launched tandem-seat sailplane known by its British military designation, Viking T1.
Since 2014, the squadrons operate under No. 2 Flying Training School, which was newly reformed for this purpose at RAF Syerston in Nottinghamshire, within No. 22 (Training) Group of Air Command. The nine currently operational squadrons, along with the Royal Air Force Central Gliding School, are standardised annually by the Royal Air Force Central Flying School. Under the Air Cadet Organisation prior to 2010, Headquarters Air Cadets, based at RAF Cranwell, retains administrative support.
Each VGS is formed entirely of volunteer staff. They are headed by an Officer Commanding, along with several executives, who are appointed by a Cadet Forces Commission in the Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC). Instructors are a mixture of regular Royal Air Force / Royal Navy / British Army service personnel, reservists, RAFAC personnel, retired Royal Air Force pilots, Civilian Gliding Instructors, and Flight Staff Cadets.
Gliding was first introduced for the Air Defence Cadet Corps in 1939, but formally became part of official training with the Air Training Corps in 1942. From 1946, eighty-seven Gliding Schools (GS) came under the Reserve Command.
Initially, the Gliding Schools were established under RAF Reserve Command, later to become RAF 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). In 1968, RAF Training Command was established, incorporating Flying Training Command. In 1977, Training Command was absorbed into RAF Support Command, and then moved into Personnel and Training Command on its establishment in 1994, before being subsumed into Air Command in March 2007, where the Gliding Schools are today controlled by.
Under Air Command, the chain of command for these units is through No.22 (Training) Group. On behalf of Air Officer Commanding No.22 (Training) Group, the Volunteer Gliding Squadrons and the Central Gliding School are the responsibility of the officer commanding No. 2 Flying Training School.
Formulated in 1946, the Home Command Gliding Instructors School (HCGIS) was established in 1949 at RAF 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 the Central Gliding School (CGS) in 1972 at RAF 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 Force Squadron Leader, who also acts as OC Flying for RAF Syerston. The Chief Instructor is also an RAF Squadron Leader. The examiners of the CGS are Flight Lieutenant Royal Air Force Reserve (RAFR) and Squadron Leader RAFR officers, however all future appointments shall be Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch) RAFVR(T) commissions.