Tuesday 6 January 2009
09:18 GMT
A Gliding Scholarship course is an opportunity for cadets to undergo further gliding training and achieve Gliding Scholarship Wings. The course consists of around eight hours of flying in the aircraft. Cadets showing the necessary aptitude are invited to progress onto the 'solo' standard and achieve the GS Solo Wings.
To undertake a GS course you should have ideally completed the GIC syllabus, although this is not essential. Trainees must be at least 16 years of age before commencing a course and have completed a basic medical examination detailed on RAF Form 6424 with your local doctor.
Nominations for GS courses should be made through your squadron and a medical form will then be sent through to you for completion. Once a medical examination is completed and cleared by your doctor, your name will be forwarded to the Wing Gliding Liaison Officer and when a course becomes available for you, you will be informed via your Squadron.
GS Proforma Request for Medical (17 Kb)
There are two formats of GS courses, either successive weekends whereby you attend the VGS each Saturday and Sunday until a course is completed (this normally takes 4-6 weekends), or alternatively, there are sometimes Continuous Courses available, which last for a week, for example (Monday to Friday) each day, although these courses are not as common.
Obviously, the time taken to complete a GS course will depend on a number of factors: the trainee's ability, attendance, motivation and, of course, the weather.
Principles of Flight is one of the main Ground Training subjects you will be expected to know. Revising this subject will be of benefit prior to attending your GS course.
Once a course has been successfully completed, a trainee will be awarded either Blue Wings for successful completion of the course and a mark of 20-25 in the end-of-course multiple choice examination, or Silver wings if the cadet achieves a Solo flight and 25-30 in the examination.
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| Blue Wings | Silver Wings |
The AGT course is only available to cadets who have completed the Gliding Scholarship course to (Silver Wings) standard and have been recommended to undertake further training. Priority for these courses is usually given to those cadets who show interest in returning to the VGS as a Flight Staff Cadet.
The course allows trainees the necessary training to complete five more solo circuits and will also cover cross wind landings, advanced turning and advanced navigation. Again, there is a small end-of-course multiple choice examination to be sat before the Gold Wings are awarded.
Having completed his Solo flight for his Gliding Scholarship, Cadet Read of 1122 (Marmion) Squadron is presented with his Silver Wings by Squadron Leader Alan Harris OC 632 Volunteer Gliding Squadron Tern Hill.
For further information, especially if you have been selected for a gliding scholarship, visit the 633 (Cosford) VGS website:
http://www.633vgs.org.uk** Staffordshire Wing are not responsible for the content of any external website.