The decline of gliding - a worldwide issue?

Originally Posted by Frank Whiteley

On Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 8:29:39 AM UTC-6, Mark Mocho wrote:
The USAF Academy's soaring program is also the cheapest initial pilot training in the Air Force.
The Discii were purchased by the Academy Graduates Association for the cadet soaring team, a practice that is no longer allowed, hence no upgrades to that racing fleet. The DG-1001s are used in aerobatic competitions and presumably at XC camps, but not in contests to date. Cadet flight time and training is not recorded on their USAF flight records because, .... USAFA Cadets are not military members until they graduate and are sworn. Therefore that air time does not qualify for FAA ratings consideration as does military flight time.

Not sure this is correct. USAFA Cadets are not military members until they graduate? My understanding was that they were under 38 U.S. Code § 1965 - Definitions
U.S. Code

For the purpose of this subchapter—
(1) The term “active duty” means—
(A) full-time duty in the Armed Forces, other than active duty for training;
(B) full-time duty (other than for training purposes) as a commissioned officer of the Regular or Reserve Corps [1] of the Public Health Service;
(C) full-time duty as a commissioned officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
(D) full-time duty as a cadet or midshipman at the United States Military Academy, United States Naval Academy, United States Air Force Academy, or the United States Coast Guard Academy.

So a full-time member of the USAFA would be ACTIVE DUTY. And while they may not be logging glider time to count towards training when they graduate and go to UPT they do select students to become glider instructors. Are those instructors not given General Aviation, FAA certificates as commercial glider pilots and instructors? Or are they as member of the USAFA exempt from the rules the rest of us must follow? Doesn't seem quite right to me.

I've only known a couple of ring knockers during my time as an enlisted swine in the USAF. One put an unopened can (an early pop top version) of Ravioli in the convection oven on the Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center. When he returned to his seat with his Nomex gloves and popped it open it exploded and distributed itself all over the capsule. The look on his face with red tomato sauce covering him and those around him AND the maps of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam was to die for. The Director, Airborne Battle Staff was not amused. We were finding Ravioli in that particular capsule for weeks afterwards. The best of the best? Well, maybe a few were.

Walt Connelly
Former Tow Pilot
Now Happy Helicopter Pilot