Cardiff International Airport Update

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G-BYVB/VB Grob G.115E Tutor (82112/E) ..arrived 11/02/16

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G-BYVB Grob Tutor (82112/E) UWAS on October 31, 2016
 
634 Volunteer Gliding Squadron - callsign "VGLxxx"

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Flying ceased early 2014 due to the Vigilant grounding. Unit closed 03/16 in MOD cuts to ATC gliding structure.

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Air cadet gliding scrapped at St Athan and Swansea​

Published10 March 2016

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Air cadet gliding is to be scrapped in Wales, the Minister for Reserves has announced.

Wales' two volunteer gliding squadrons (VGS) at MOD St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan, and Swansea Airport are among 14 across the UK to be disbanded following a restructure.

Air cadets from Wales will now travel to England for glider activities.

Julian Brazier said the RAF remained committed to air cadet flying.

He said a reduced glider fleet would be operated by "significantly fewer but larger volunteer gliding squadrons".

In April 2014, all air cadet gliding was suspended following concerns over the airworthiness of the fleet.

'Deepest regret'​

Mr Brazier announced the restructure, adding negotiations had "failed to find a value for money approach to successfully repair and recover all 146 gliders."

St Athan's 634 Volunteer Gliding Squadron, which was founded in 1955, posted on Facebook:

"It is with our deepest regret that we have been made aware that as of today 634 VGS will be disbanded along with several other VGS nation wide.

"After a long association within Wales for many decades air cadet gliding will be no more."
 

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Air Cadet Aviation Relaunch​

Statement made on 10 March 2016​

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Statement made by​


Earl Howe
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Conservative


Statement​

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Reserves (Mr Julian Brazier) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

In April 2014 all Air Cadet Organisation gliding was paused due to airworthiness concerns with the Grob Viking conventional glider and Grob Vigilant motorglider fleets utilised by the Air Cadet Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (VGS).

Substantial operational, technical and commercial negotiations with a range of aerospace leaders in this field have failed to find a value for money approach to successfully repair and recover all 146 gliders.

Consequently a comprehensive Air Cadet Organisation review has proposed restructuring this activity.

It has been decided that the best value for money solution is to recover at least 73 Vikings, a reduced Vigilant fleet of up to 15 aircraft, combined with an uplift to Grob Tutor fixed wing Air Experience Flights (AEFs).

The reduced glider fleet will be operated by significantly fewer, but larger, VGS, which will have a regional focus and be better integrated with synthetic training and increased AEF locations.

The number of Grob Tutor aircraft beyond 2017 for AEF/ University Air Squadron (UAS) use will go from 45 to 70 airframes, enabling the enlargement of existing AEFs and the formation of two new AEFs.

Regional VGS hubs, which have the facility to provide overnight accommodation, will be also created across the UK.

The Volunteer Gliding Squadrons that are due to be disbanded are:

611 Squadron currently based at RAF Honington,
612 Squadron currently based Dalton Barracks (Abingdon),
613 Squadron currently based at RAF Halton,
616 Squadron currently based at RAF Henlow,
618 Squadron currently based at RAF Odiham,
624 Squadron currently based at RMB Chivenor,
633 Squadron currently based at RAF Cosford,
634 Squadron currently based at MOD St Athan,
635 Squadron currently based at RAF Topcliffe,
636 Squadron currently based at Swansea Airport,
642 Squadron currently based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse,
662 Squadron currently based at RMB Arbroath,
663 Squadron currently based at Kinloss Barracks,
664 Squadron currently based at Newtownards.

The Volunteer Gliding Squadrons that are due to be retained are:

The Central Gliding School and 644 Squadron currently based at RAF Syerston,
614 Squadron currently based at MDP Wethersfield,
615 Squadron currently based at RAF Kenley,
622 Squadron currently based at Trenchard Lines Upavon,
626 Squadron currently based at RNAS Predannack,
631 Squadron currently based at RAF Woodvale,
632 Squadron currently based at RAF Ternhill,
637 Squadron currently based at RAF Little Rissington,
661 Squadron currently based at RAF Kirknewton
645 Squadron currently based at Topcliffe (from October 2019).
621 Squadron currently based at Hullavington will be retained at RNAS Merryfield.

As part of this process, a number of regional gliding hubs are to be created.

We also expect that 2 new Air Experience Flights will be created, 13 AEF and 14 AEF.

It is anticipated that 14 AEF will be located in Northern Ireland.

While work is undertaken to set up this new structure, the future locations of these Squadrons remains subject to the outcome of MOD estate rationalisation due to announce later this year.

While it is likely that many Squadrons will remain at their current locations, we are working to ensure that, where this is not the case, flying opportunities will be made available to Cadet Units within their region and any new locations will be as geographically close to the existing locations as possible.

We recognise that this means that some uncertainty will remain for our cadets, but we are confident that this new structure will maximise flying opportunities for them.

As VGS are run by volunteer staffs, this will not result in any job losses, albeit volunteering options will be affected.

The RAF is extremely grateful for the volunteers that support each VGS; without this support Air Cadet gliding would not be possible.

Consequently we will develop a crossover plan which will enable many volunteer gliding instructors who become surplus on affected VGS to convert to Viking; transfer to a formally established ground cadre within a VGS; transfer their instructional skill sets into the units of the mainstream Air Cadet Organisation; or to retrain to fly the Grob Tutor in the expanded AEF construct.

The RAF remains committed to Air Cadet flying and will ultimately increase investment in the VGS and AEF sites which will remain to include the provision of residential accommodation for cadets and staff.

This will enable those cadet units which have to travel greater distances to the VGS to undertake a residential weekend, with better associated force development and ground training opportunities alongside the gliding and flying.

With the introduction of glider simulators, funded by the RAF Charitable Trust, the Air Cadet Organisation have developed a common syllabus for cadet flying which better integrates and allocates cadet flying opportunities between realistic synthetic flight simulation, glider flying and an uplift of AEF flights.

We will make a further statement when we can say more on basing.
 
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NPAS St Athan - callsign "Police 32"

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Formerly South & East Wales Police Air Support Unit, became part of the National Police Air Service (NPAS) 01/02/15


G-NWOI Eurocopter EC.135P2+ (0887) ..arrived 18/09/15

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G-NWOI Eurocopter EC.135P2+ c/n 0887. "POLICE32" St. Mawgan on May 30, 2016
 
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Bristow Group 2016

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Started operations on 04/10/15 from a new purpose-built hangar in the Southwestern corner of the airfield as part of the UK SAR contract.

Two AgustaWestland AW139s are based for the SAR contract.

AW189s are based for crew training prior to roll out into the SAR fleet, these also operate from 75 Hangar near the Control Tower.


G-CILN AgustaWestland AW139 (31586) ..arrived 01/09/15 ..departed 26/12/16 to Lydd

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Bristow Helicopters | Augusta Westland AW139 | G-CILN

One of Bristow's Many AW139s seen here in Lynmouth on a training exercise on March 31, 2016

This helicopter is based at St Athan
 
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Royal Air Force/Marshall Aerospace 2016

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Operation formed in 2013 to store/dispose of the remaining C-130K Hercules C.1/3 fleet and associated spares/GSE.
Based in the "Superhangar".

XV177 Lockheed Hercules C.3A (4182) ..arrived 29/10/13 as "Reynard 1" ..moved to eCube Solutions ramp 10/16.

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XV177 RAF St. Athan eCube Solutions ramp on October 2, 2016
 
XV188 Lockheed Hercules C.3A (4206) ..arrived 05/09/13 as "Ascot 719" ..moved to eCube Solutions ramp c.11/16 minus tail unit and outer wings

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It would be too sad to show you a picture of XV188 sans tail and wings, so here's some art. :salute:

This painting was a special commission from Marshalls of Cambridge to be presented to the Royal Airforce Club in memory of Sir Arthur Marshall.

The aircraft XV188 an RAF Mk3A, can be seen overflying Cambridge airport, Marshall's operating base since 1938.

They have handled the fitting of RAF equipment to newly delivered aircraft, the heavy servicing and repainting of all RAF “hercs”, and facilitated all manner of maintenance to the RAF Hercules fleet since the first RAF C-130 in 1968.
 
XV196 Lockheed Hercules C.1 (4217) ..arrived 04/09/13 as "Omen 2" ..moved to eCube Solutions ramp mid 2016.

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Stephen Hopper aviation painting in pastel and gouache.

Lockheed Hercules C1 (C130K) Mk1P, XV196, Royal Air Force 47 Squadron, taking part in ‘Operation Provide Promise’ — The world’s largest humanitarian relief airlift, Sarajevo, 2 July 1992 to 9 January 1996.
 
ZD259/RM-474 ..arrived 11/01/16 from Yeovilton

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Royal Navy 815 NAS Westland Lynx HMA8 ZD259 & ZF560Withdrawn from service and being roaded out to St Athan - on January 11, 2016 - for storage and possible foreign military sale. However, both aircraft subsequently went to Middle Wallop for RTP.RNAS Yeovilton - EGDY
 
Special Forces Support Group

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A unit of the British Armed Forces. The SFSG is the newest addition to the United Kingdom Special Forces. It was formed officially on 3 April 2006 to provide specialist infantry and other support to the Special Air Service, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Boat Service on operations.

A tri-service unit, the major element of the SFSG is 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (1 PARA), reinforced with a company strength group of the Royal Marines.

Specialists from the RAF Regiment also form part of the SFSG's strength.

The SFSG may provide extra firepower from land or air to fulfil their mission.

The SFSG also act as the hunter force during the SERE phase of the UKSF Selection; in addition, the SFSG also have a rotating company group trained in Counter Terrorism (CT) to support the on-call SAS or SBS squadrons on CT rotation.

The Ministry of Defence does not comment on special forces matters, therefore little verifiable information exists in the public domain.


VN-A190 Boeing 737-4H6 ..fuselage only arrived late May/early June 2013 from Kemble

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VN-A190 Boeing 737-400 fuselage ex Jetstar Pacific in use as a training aid at St Athan

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:blink: :ermm: :whistle:
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Dragon Aircraft Engineering

Based in Hangar 385.

We don't know when the Company started or when the aircraft arrived.

Last accounts of the company made up to 30 April 2015

Company status: Dissolved 26 June 2018

The following were believed to be present in 09/14:


CS-ARI Robin HR.100-210 Safari (159) ..fuselage

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CS-ARI, CS-DAI and CS-DAJ on September 8, 2014

CS-DAI OGMA DHC-1 Chipmunk T20 (OGMA-30) ..dismantled
CS-DAJ OGMA DHC-1 Chipmunk T20 (OGMA-32) ..dismantled
(CS- ) ? DHC-1 Chipmunk ..grey primer, under restoration
G-AOS? de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk 22 ..rear fuselage, silver
WB645/8218M de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 (C1/0085) ..fuselage, no cockpit
unmarked DHC-1 Chipmunk ..grey primer
unmarked de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 ..red/white
 
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