The extreme winter of 1962-63 played havoc at Benson. Taxiways and runways were closed by packed snow and ice until March 63. The two week flying phase of my course was completed in Malta and Idris. At that time the flying controls were prone to freezing up, so we were banned from flying in cloud above the freezing level, hence the routing via Gibraltar.
YouTube - Chap 7 Argosy Course 1962 3 Large