The granny in the glider

[Genghis the Engineer]

I'm sure we've all seen it - the Walls slices advert with the 78 year old glider pilot.

I'm sure it'll be good for Walls and their snack sales - best of luck to them.



But, will it be any good for gliding in particular, or light aviation in general?

Personally I think it'll probably make a lot of people joke that we're all 78 year old sausage roll eating grannies, but may well make a few people think that there may be something in this flying lark that they should think about. On net, probably a good chunk of free advertising.

G

[Sir George Cayley]

I'm having great trouble convincing Lady Cayley that the old dear is actually flying the sailplane. :eek:

SGC

[Lister Noble]

I've been to Tibbenham today,World Vintage Glider Rally.
Amazing machines,some designs dating from the early twenties,around 80 in all,a lot airborne at the same time,two winches and 4 tugs working non stop.
We drove out and had coffee in Southwold this morning,so not a bad old day.
Saw many vintage men but no granny pilots.
Lister:)

[MartinCh]

Anything older than 60 years should be considered vintage.

Just checking out that video on youtube, since I don't have the luxury of UK TV (:confused:)
Nice.

It's true, UK and gliding scene in general, needs more young blood.
I recall one lady on trial lesson, who did mention that she's got about year or two to live, terminal cancer. When I drove her back in golf cart to her car, after we got back to launch point, she said her family were discouraging her from going up in glider.
Something, she said, she always/recently wanted to do, try out.

Of course, she enjoyed it a lot. She wasn't in 70s though, but not too young either.

I believe the advert is good publicity for gliding.

[squawking 7700]

I've known Cathy Lawrance since 96 and Cathy is an inspiration to all that know her, a genuinely kind person and stalwart at Buckminster GC.

Has flown all over the world, held a BI rating and share in an LS7.

I don't think there's any questioning Cathy's abilities as pilot.

It brought a tear of emotion to my eye to see Cathy on TV as the ad and Cathy's enthusiasm reminded me of why I fly and how lucky I am.

I can't think that gliding would have been seen in any better light by some stuck up there own ass comp pilot.


7700

[coldair]

Here's a link to the video;

YouTube - Bring it on Granny Glider - Longer fun edit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRD5VRmYSic)

Well done granny!

[Sir George Cayley]

Thanks 77 and coldair, I'll show her the extended play. Hope for us all I reckon:ok:

Sir George Cayley

ps For some strange reason I fancy a couple of snorkers:confused:

[mary meagher]

My first book, now out of print. That was 25 years ago. Until April this year, I was still a fully qualified gliding instructor at Shenington Gliding Club, and also Tugmaster, with 3,000 hours acquired since turning 50.

That's l,800 hours in gliders, and 1,200 in power, including IR and Seaplane ratings! Also represented the UK in the SOVIET UNION!! in the Women's European Championships held in 1989.

OK, I am not very photogenic any more, at 77, but I can still fly very well indeed, thank you. My longest flight in the UK was 8 hr. 53 minutes, doing a task of 511 k from HB in a regional competition. Etc etc etc.

The quacks took away my JAR Class II in April, after a replacement knee op had an unexpected complication. **** happens. But still flying with a safety pilot, so there. If you have a Silver certificate you too can enjoy an advanced soaring lesson with me. Guarantee an exhilarating time!

Mary Meagher

[mad_jock]

Good for you Mary and if you drive to the airfield why not go for a NPPL?

[Pegpilot]

David Evans is in his eighties and still flying from Welland GC, admittedly with a safety pilot these days (at his own insistence). David passed 3000 hours in gliders earlier this summer. He has all three diamonds, and did his first 500km in an Open Cirrus in the 1970's. David was a fixture as our Wednesday instructor for many years, and sent me off in a K8 on my first cross country in 1998. Having managed to find my destination farm strip near Kings Lynn after an interesting trip in the blue, David phoned me up 2 days later to offer his congratulations before professing that when he sent off "I didn't think you had a hope in hell of getting there !". If the cumulus are popping, it's a fair bet that David's white Mercedes will roll up at the launch point, and he'll still happily operating the launch signals until it's his turn to fly. A true gent.....

[mad_jock]

Don up in Inverness is the oldest at 89 of the 2 old buffty's that require special insurance for the over 80's at the flying club.

Don used to fly a Halifax bomber into Italy in WW2 and 7 years ago decided to fly as a hobby again on a NPPL. He is the most precise pilot I have ever flown with. Forget your +- 100 ft tolerences the needle never moves.

Previlage to fly with him ( I can't say instruct him cause I learned more off him than he did off me)

[mary meagher]

And then there's D. Piggott....

[Lister Noble]

And then there's Ken Wallis,94 and still flying his gyro-copters,just up the road.:)