Narrowing the possibilities
Hi Dave, Nice to see that the 'best value for money training machine' ever built (TMK3) still going ok. Your info 'quest' can be narrowed down as follows.
The Tot no of launches in 63 would include a hefty amount of AE input as this was a normal 'task' for schools by by then and eventually getting more efficient when the retrieve trolleys started to appear.
The 'schools' mainly ran w-end operations, plus continuous courses (usually Easter and summer) as staffing allowed.
The two Gliding Centres ran week long A&B courses as the norm, plus occasional instructor upgrades and training.
The peak years would have been before the intro of the Venture, and when the two centres were still operating, and also before we started to loose ATC airfields around the country. 63 would have been a good average that may have improved, as with more AE flying Cadets were exposed to Gliding earlier than before and consequently encouraged to do the A&B course plus the chance of advanced flying at Halesland.
As the Cadets usually claimed the Cert and enamel broach from the BGA this would also be a source of info.
Re the actual 'numbers' for the prescribed 3 solo's (A&B) I seem to recall the min required for the ATC was 19 training and 2 check flights, then you did 3 solo's on the trot. That was based on a 'continuous' situation, as w-end training was far more spread out with weather and availability plus 'gaps' for other reasons and could easily be over 30 launches for the same Cadet capability. I was lucky with Kenley (still going 615) being my local 'school' and can remember being quite shocked when we lost Tangmere, Manston, West Malling, Old Sarum, Weston, in a seemingly downward spiral. What we never lost was the legacy of being the best World Class basic training operation in the world (run by volunteers). Never to be repeated or improved upon. Not to mention those NAFFI pies at the winch end.