Air Cadet Gliding pix in the 80s (pre glass)

[T-21]

Thanks Wander,
I flew 60 trips in WB923 and WG498 in 1967/8 they both had canopies fitted winter 1967 not the same as the open cockpits. Did you fly the Oly 2B "77" this is still flying in the USA as N606BG. We had 2 Tutors XE760 and VM648 but they seemed hangar bound most of the time.

[chevvron]

The canopy on '651 doesn't look quite right; is it a replacement from a Skylark 4 or Dart?

[JW411]

I can remember reading in the S & G back in the 1960s an article about two heros who were aertowed all the way from UK to Sweden in a T-21.

Now that is what I call dedication. Benson to Bicester was enough for me! Mind you, Andy was in a bit of a hurry.

[WE992]

Swallow Canopy

Chevvron

You are correct. There were 2 sorts of Swallow canopies = the older ones were a small perspex bubble mounted on a frame that more ply on it than the photo of 651 and the latter ones had the large type perspex without the ply sides. The canopy bubble on 651 is modified from another.

All the Air Cadet Swallows had the old style canopy. I have advertised on the internet for one with no success.

[lederhosen]

JW411 sorry if I am asking a blindingly obvious question but by Andy do you mean the great Andy Gough?

[WE992]

Slingsby Prefect

Just seen this photo at the link below for the first time:


Slingsby T.30B Prefect TX1, WE983, Royal Air Force

Also some interesting photos from Halesland have just been posted on the 621 VGS Historic Flight web page below:

621 VGS Historic Flight

More from the Historic Flight flypast at RIAT:

RIAT Sunday - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums



Enjoy - I did.

[JW411]

lederhosen:

Sorry for the delay - been busy; I did indeed mean the late Andy Gough.

[sycamore]

Anyone know whether Olympia VV400 ,`60`.and Sky XA876,`59`, are still about ? Flew them both at Upavon ,mid `68,after a couple of trips in `Barge WB920...

[WE992]

The former ETPS Sky XA876 still exists. It became RAFGSA 876 and then BGA4670. I flew it at Syerston in the early 80's. It is now in private hands at Booker. Oly VV400 became BGA1697 and I am led to believe that it is currently under restoration at Rivar Hill.

[sycamore]

WE992,thanks; UK Serials had until recently `400` as written -off in`52,but just seen it`s been amended..

[WE992]

Grunau Baby

Another interesting photo at the link below:

Schneider DFS 108-49 Grunau Baby II, VT917, Royal Air Force

[GliFly]

A S/L Robinson was fond of saying, "those Halesland dry stone walls weigh a-ton-a-yard"! here is the proof.

[Dan Winterland]

The Sky was sold as an insurance write off by the GSA in the mid 80s after it was damaged in a heavy landing after a cable break at Syerston. I was the winch driver. I often wondered what had happened to it.

[WE992]

DW

I have the accident date as 6 July 85.

The photo at the link below should bring back some happy memories:

Slingsby T.34 Sky, RAFGSA 876, RAF Gliding and Soaring Association

[Dan Winterland]

Thanks Al, does bring back some memories. I have some pictures of her somewhere - I didn't scan them so they're probably in my mother in law's loft in the UK.

As for the accident date, I will take your word for it. I only remember it being a summer day in the mid 80s. It wasn't actually a cable break that caused the accident. IIRC, it was a slow acceleration on the start of the winch launch caused by the drag of the skid (no wheel on the Sky) the cable stretching and then ''catapaulting'' the glider forward and airborne so that it overran the cable and the rings backreleased. The pilot didn't react and stalled it on from about 50'. The damage wasn't great, but the GSA decided to take the insurance money and get rid of her.

A bit of a shame as she was quite a nice old bird. Climbed on a f@rt, but not a great performer between thermals though! The ETPS students used to fly her on aerotow with just a brief. The old TP course used to have flights like that in the syllabus to expose the trainee TPs to all sorts of flying. She was replaced with an Open Cirrus later on.

[Dan Winterland]

Scanned from a book in my collection called "The Beauty of Gliding'' from 1960. No other details except the caption ''Coming in to land''.

[Frelon]

The T53 arrives at 615 Gliding School, RAF Kenley - 8th March 1970

I recently found the following photographs and thought I would share them with fellow PPRuNe followers of this thread.

This was our Eagle winch together with our 1 ton Austin cable retrieve vehicle. Note the concours condition of the winch with white wall tyres!!



The T53 arrived for a quick evaluation and for filming of a COI Air Cadet recruiting piece. Rumour had it that the T53, being a heavy piece of kit, would not achieve a useful height from a small airfield like Kenley in conjunction with the underpowered winches.

How many people does it take to ground handle a T53??





It was taken out of the trailer and rigged on the grass (snow) in front of the Kenley control tower. In the top picture you can actually see the edge of the signals area beside the glider. Everybody wanted to have a look at the potential future of Air Cadet gliding!

Here you can see it rigged in front of the married quarters...



....before being towed out to the launch point for filming.



A fabulous sunny day was 8th March 1970, and with snow lying on the ground made a wonderful backdrop for the COI Film.

[POBJOY]

AH Kenley

Great Images Mick and the Austin still looking in VGC considering its age and has recovered from the bow and arrow incident !!!
I see the MB Wild Winch tyres are not as delivered (they came with ballon tyres) for grass use, and who stole those lovely wooden chocks we had (bricks indeed).
This begs the question where was the store of the WW variety, and what were they really used for!!!
The secret to moving a T53 was to have a short length of rope with a loop and use the ottfur attachment.
I still think we misssed the boat with the 53 as winter flying would have been increased,and the design would have improved and evolved with use, plus there were many days it could have operated when the 'barges'
had to be left inside.
Slingsbys just needed some time to adapt from chisels to rivets but i think they would have got there in the end.
I do not recall many days when flying took place with snow on the ground, but it made for a great opportunity for 'spinning' the CFI's new beetle down the main runway.

[Frelon]

White Wall Tyres on winch!!

......actually Pete, those "white wall" tyres were original issue, but they were black wall tyres then

It is just that we winch driver staff cadets had time on our hands whilst the then instructors were extolling the virtues of their new aircooled VW Beetles at the launch point

It is amazing what you can do with a few sticks of chalk out of the lecture room

[POBJOY]

The Kenley Beetles

Ah all those Beetles,as opposed to your regime when the S/cdts and JI had motorcycles.
When i came along with my black 1200 55 model it made 5 in total.
Its claim to fame was having major surgery in the famous Belfast hangar alongside the ghosts of Camels,SE5's,Siskins,Bulldogs,504's,Tutors,Harts,Furies, Gladiators,Hurricanes,Spitfires,T/moths,Harvards,Chipmunks,Ansons,MkIII's and Barges.
All that history lost in the blaze of 78 together with the winch and Austin in your image.
At least the airfield lives on in a proud way having spent its time defending the realm. God Bless Her. Great images Mick.