Originally Posted by
Krystal n chips
Ahem, about your idea of "fun ".....
...personally, I prefer something a "bit more robust "than,, erm, thin air.
HaHa - the production T21 was not that robust around the cockpit area KnC,whilst I was on the staff at 613 Halton I was getting another Mk3 out of the Bessonneau Hangar with some cadets when one of the cadets told me ''a glider has just crashed sir'' (well he did not know I was just a corporal apprentice
) - my initial reaction was of course ''stupid boy'' (or words to that effect) to which he replied ''honest''.
So looks outside and sure enough he was correct,one of our senior instructors had taken off in T21 WB970 with a small/light cadet and I believe without having fitted a 'Bomb' - had low cable break and could not get the nose down - result spun in from (100ft ??).
The T21 woodwork fwd of the cockpit bulkhead was just matchwood with the metal flying control system parts clearly on view,cadet and instructor were not seriously injured luckily.
The
Commandant - Air Comm Bob Weighhill was at the scene in his (Austin 1800 ??) before the ambulance -he was a big rugby man and had seen it happen from one of the sports fields.
Eventually we had a lovely albeit rather sad bonfire with the remains of this glider,from memory it was a bit slow to get going but once warmed up - it really went up nicely.