T21, Manston and stuff
I was a soloist at Manston in 1977, came back to gliding in 1993 and now fly glass. I remember how they used to close the public road across the airfield before first solo flights, just in case you overshot and embarrassed yourself. Also remember the glider retrieve system they used to keep the launch rate up, whereby the landing glider was probably still moving when a landrover/trailer combo screamed to a halt in front, 4 cadets would leap out of the back, and push the glider and still-strapped-in cadet up the ramp and secure the wingtips to the trailer with cables before driving back to the launch point and dropping the glider off for the next launch. The glider crew didn't have to lift a finger to help. Heady days. Oh, and XN246, as previously mentioned in this thread (Southampton museum) was my solo machine.
Had my first flight in an open cockpit glider in 33 years in Feb this year when I had a brief soaring flight in a T21 at Upwood. Never been so cold in my life.....
(So when are you going to drop in for a cuppa at Lyveden then, T21 ? Or do we have to come down to Odell and frogmarch you up there ?)