The aims of the scheme are to encourage young people into gliding in the hopes they become the club members and world champions of the future. At present, the GCV is prepared to support a scheme with an average membership of 20 active Cadets. Getting into the scheme is not automatic. Each applicant has to show he or she meets the requirements described below.
Applications are accepted from girls and boys aged 15 to 18 inclusive. Each applicant must have had at least one flight in a glider prior to applying. This Information and Application pack includes two forms. One is the Application to join the Cadet Scheme, there is also the GCV standard membership and indemnity form, which has to be completed and returned along with every cadet application. This form includes parental consent for those under 18.
Every Cadet's progress is reviewed at the end of June each year. Those not making sensible use of the scheme will be dropped to allow others to join; sensible use equates to at least an average of 3 flights a month. Cadets making good progress may be offered a further year in the scheme, this could even be extended to a third year for Cadets doing well if there is not too many new applicants waiting to join. An under 21 subscription is charged for this third year extended Cadet membership.
The aim of the Cadet Scheme is to take Cadets through Basic training, through early solo flying, and on to gain a Bronze C. If some cadets are able to progress even further to Silver C and beyond, this would be actively encouraged.
No specific duties are involved in being a Cadet member. Apart from having to send in a progress report every three months, Cadets are deliberately treated in the same way as other club members. However, gliding needs a team effort, especially at the launch point, and the club expects to see the Cadets willing to take their fair share of the various tasks that go with launching and retrieving gliders without repeated prompting.
We have tried in the past setting up special courses for cadets, but it has never been possible to find times that suit enough people to make it worthwhile. It is best for Cadets to arrange their time here in the same way other members do.
To be fair and equitable, the GCV has a selection process based mainly on the information in the returned application form. If we have several good applicants but no places available, we hold all the applications and make a selection when a place becomes available. All applications will be acknowledged and given an indication of the current situation.
| Item | Price | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entrance Fee (Cadet) | Free | 12 months | |
| Annual Fee (Cadet) | Free | 12 months | |
| IS-28 Glider Hire (Cadet) | $0.23 | minute | |
| Aerotow (Cadet) | $2.50 | minute | |
| Aerotow Flagfall (Cadet) | $2.00 | flight |