Glider pilot's badge?

[David Tremain]

I just picked up a pair of light blue wings with a darker blue circle in the middle and a light blue G within it. It is surmounted by a gold (yellow) queen's crown. Is it a cadet's glider pilot's wings or some sort of RAF/Army glider pilot's wings?

As I said on my other post, I can't post a picture as I only have my camera on my phone and don't know how to download pictures to the computer.

Thanks, David

[54Bty]

If you can not plug your phone into your computer, message them to your email address.

Marc

[oc14]

Air Cadet Organisation Gliding Instructor's qualification badge.

regards

PL

[David Tremain]

Thanks Paul.
David

[wings]

Hi, are these the wings?

I've had this pair in my collection for about 10 years and if so, I'm afraid I'm not sure exactly what they are either.

They definitely aren't Air Cadet wings - The ATC have never had a gold crown. I've got a particular interest having been an Air Cadet Gliding Instructor for 20 years or so off and on. I've shown them to a few of the older instructors who have been around at the RAF Central Gliding School for years and they don't recognise them.

My best guess is that they were a privately made wing loosely based on the air cadet B2/B1/A Cat (formerly ATC B Cat/A Cat) pattern - the one with the crown. they are also a different size to the ATC wings being slightly smaller. I guess they were either made for some young ATCGI's trying to make their wing look 'snazzier' or were for use at a civilian gliding club.

All the best.

[David Tremain]

Hi Wings. Yes they're the ones. Just when I thought I'd nailed it down you muddy the waters! I know I've seen these somewhere before. Malcolm Hobart's book (p.125) only shows the badge with a white crown as being Adult Staff Gliding Instructor. Could it be a senior instructor?

David

[wings]

Hi David
Sorry! Here's the story...
The wing without the crown was for many years issued to G1 (grade 1) and C Cat Instructor (the lowest grade of instructor) pilots. G1 is not an instructor grade so it didn't necessarily mean that the wearer was an instructor. The wing with the crown was issued to senior (B and A Cat) instructors. Last year the head of ACCGS (Air Cadet Central Gliding School) made the decision that the hardest course was the initial instructors course and so decided that all instructors (C Cat included) would get the crown. Also C Cat was abolished and renamed B2. So although who gets the crown has changed Slightly, the crown is the same - there was never a gold version. Even THE most senior instructor at ACCGS who is a full time RAF CGS pilot only gets the standard instructors wing.
Here's the page from the Air Cadet Uniform Regs. These are the only flying badges currently issued - the glider scholarship (proficiency) wings have changed design over the years but never the design of the glider pilot and instructor wings. If I ever track down whose they are I'll post here.
Cheers,
Nick.

[wings]

...and here's the ATC instructors wing straight from uniform stores.
Cheers,
Nick.

[David Tremain]

So the wings with the gold crown are still a mystery! The plot thickens!

David