It is the 53rd anniversary of Fg Off Dmitri Zotov (later Sqn Ldr) flying an Oly 2b from Ballykelly in N Ireland to land at Crianlarich,Scotland on the 27th Dec 1963.
Must have been a cold trip !
Does anybody have any other info or know if any photos were taken at the landing point ? I know there are a few old RAFGSA pilots on here
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I believe he was retrieved with help from RAF Leuchars Mountain Rescue Team - also does anybody know the exact landing point ?I was at Crianlarich a few weeks ago and it reminded me of the flight,I have always assumed the landing point was near the river close to the old Crianlarich Lower Railway Station (now a car park) - any further info would be great
S and G mag article...
For the first time the Irish Sea has been crossed by sailplane from west to east.During the last week-end of 1963 Flg Off Dmitri Zotov , a New Zealander serving with the R.A.F took off from the Red Hand Gliding Club at Ballykelly in Northern Ireland at 11.45 a.m . in an Olympia 2B , and flew 130 miles to a landing at Crianlarich,on the Stirling-Oban road in Scotland,at2.30p.m.On the way he climbed to 14.000ft the second highest altitude in Irish gliding.He was taking part in a joint wave –soaring expedition by the Red Hand Club and the Ulster Gliding Club. The first crossing in the opposite direction was made by Charles Ross in a Skylark3,in wave lift from the Scottish Gliding Union to Toome airfield via Portrush on 3rd February,1963(seeSAILPLANEAND•GLIDING,April.1963,p.76). The narrowest sea crossing is 13 miles from or to the Mull of Kintyre.
From a Red Hand GC article...
Following accurate radio reports from ‘Zot’ at 7,000 ft in the Olympia, Grenville Hill achieved Silver height in the Eon at 5,500 ft where there was still good lift which he had to leave due to the lack of penetration of the Eon.
The same wave system which had been located earlier in the day for the highlight of the project by ‘Zot’ took him to 15,000 ft before his departure for Scotland. His report should appear elsewhere so we will simply congratulate him on his first away flight from Ballykelly.