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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 the Royal Air Force.[1] The ten 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 made up of entirely volunteer staff. They are headed by an Officer Commanding and 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 personnel, reservists, RAFAC personnel, retired Royal Air Force pilots, Civilian Gliding Instructors and Flight Staff Cadets.
^"New Gliding School launches for Air Cadets". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force Air Cadets. 31 January 2014. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
^"Join as a Volunteer Gliding Squadron Instructor". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force Air Cadets. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^"Freedom of Information response: Royal Warrant for the Cadet Forces Commission and new regulations from December 2017" (PDF). GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
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A VolunteerGlidingSquadron (VGS) is an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF) which provides flying training in glider aircraft for Royal Air...
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within Alanbrooke Barracks. The last remaining RAF unit is No. 645 VolunteerGlidingSquadron which operates the Grob Viking T.1 glider. Royal Air Force Topcliffe...
by the RAF in the relief landing ground (RLG) role, flying by VolunteerGlidingSquadrons or other training purposes. They are described as airfields and...
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618 VolunteerGlidingSquadron arrived in July 2000. The Unit operated the Vigilant T Mk 1 self-launching glider, providing basic flying and gliding training...
Marines and RAF Search and Rescue Force (No. 22 Squadron RAF) as well as No. 624 VolunteerGlidingSquadron RAF (624 VGS) operating Grob Vigilant T1 motor...
War and made them available as an educational exhibit. No. 613 VolunteerGlidingSquadron, which operated the Grob Vigilant T1, was disbanded in November...
RAF Shawbury. The airfield is also home to the RAF's No. 632 VolunteerGlidingSquadron. The airfield was first opened in 1916 and was initially operated...
was described in local media as "a Government U-turn". No. 633 VolunteerGlidingSquadron, which operated the Grob Vigilant T1, was disbanded in November...
English Electric Canberra and two Hawker Siddeley Harriers. 626 VolunteerGlidingSquadron unit operated by the RAF Air Cadets are also a lodger unit based...
Navigation Instructor Qualification, a teacher qualification in the VolunteerGlidingSquadron within the U.K.'s Royal Air Force Nick (disambiguation) Uniq (disambiguation)...
activities that take place also. Examples include: Gliding (at a VGS (volunteerglidingsquadron)) Flying (on an RAF base) RAF base visits Shooting International...
the station was left on "care and maintenance", though No. 624 VolunteerGlidingSquadron (624 VGS) continued to fly from there. The RAF returned in 1979...