Ahh, happy memories of my long lost youth in the late 70's came flooding back on seeing the pictures. Remember being chosen to go on a gliding course at the Air Cadet Central Gliding School at Syerston in February and on arrival being dismayed when told I was too tall for the 'new fangled' Venture glider and being sent across to the T21's. My first launch was straight into the base of lowish cloud out of which an awful lot of snow seemed to be falling.The instructor did a split ar$e turn and got us on the ground rapido style. That set the tone for the rest of the week with heavy snow showers and no flying...endex. Come the summer though I was now travelling to Little Rissington every weekend and after some 17 mins of training I went off on that joyeous first solo in a Mk3 and remember well turning downwind shouting at the top of my voice to the others on the ground "Whaaaaaay, look at me!!!!" Thank you for trusting in me 637 Sqn and Flt Lt John Diamond, wherever you may be, you helped set me off on this long and much loved career in aviation
