Originally Posted by
76fan
I have no record of the number of launches or flight time during my training at Hendon in 1960 but it must have been similar to yours, all done in the Mk3. Winch, crosswind, downwind, base leg, finals, spoilers out, land .... no time for anything else and definitely no soaring. How on earth did you record your airborne time, with a stopwatch with a second hand? I wish that I could remember the maximum height we achieved, I seem to remember about 600ft and I doubt it could have been more than about 800ft., but it was a long time ago.
Don't know what system was used at other schools but at Halton, White Waltham and Bovingdon there was a log sheet which had to be filled in then initialled by the pilot before takeoff along with takeoff and landing times which were recorded at the launch point. Most instructors/AEG pilots also noted their times on their own kneepads in order to cross check.
As for maximum height in the circuit, the proximity of Hendon to Runway 23L approaches at Heathrow and Runway 25 approaches to Northolt would put stringent limits on that irrespective of cloud base or height gained off the launch and it would also limit Runway 05R departures from Heathrow and Runway 07 departures from Northolt; the height limit I mentioned earlier regarding Kenley (5000ft amsl if VFR) would not have applied at Hendon as it was in a different type of airspace where IFR control started at the surface.