Air Cadet Gliding pix in the 80s (pre glass)
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@Arkwight - I think you'd have done the Gliding Proficiency in the 80's - the BGT came later in the 90's I think.......................
@Burtonwood Aviator - look up Tim O'Brien on the web or Tobbit publishing for the Syerston book...or you can buy it direct from Waterstones in Nottingham.
cheers all,
Arc
@Burtonwood Aviator - look up Tim O'Brien on the web or Tobbit publishing for the Syerston book...or you can buy it direct from Waterstones in Nottingham.
cheers all,
Arc
Remember we are talking ATC gliding here guys...CBSITCB was used in civvy clubs years before the ATC started using it.
I did my original gliding course at 644 Spitalgate in 1969 and we definitely used CISTRS then...
I then had 2 years at 613 Halton in 1970-72 where we used CBSITCB - hence my guess as 70-71 for introduction as ATC checks.
rgds LR
I did my original gliding course at 644 Spitalgate in 1969 and we definitely used CISTRS then...
I then had 2 years at 613 Halton in 1970-72 where we used CBSITCB - hence my guess as 70-71 for introduction as ATC checks.
rgds LR
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I'm a little younger! As you say they are now read from FRC's. They start with 3 Warnings. 1 wind direction 2 surface condition 3 wet/iced/insects on wings. Then it reverts to CBSIT as we all remember but to avoid overheat they switched the old last CB to BC. Then it ends with E for emergencies and one has to state your intention regarding LF's incl who is flying & who is commander. The instrument check is extensive on the first flight to incl all toys present but is reduced to mandatory Alt & ASI for subsequent flights. Hope that helps. Cheers KC
Also sad to report that Sqn Ldr Ron Page, for many years OC 611 VGS at Swanton Morley has recently passed away. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but by all accounts, once met never forgotten..
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Tim has also done a fantastic oil painting celebrating 70 years of Air Cadet Gliding it features an airfield (based on SY) scene with one of every type of glider the Cadets have used, I think the intention was to sell prints, although I havent seen any on general release.
However I pestered Tim and did manage to get him to do a short run of "artist proof" prints and I have an A1 sized numbered 1 of 5 hanging at home. (I know where 4 of the 5 went, so there may still be one available)
There are 12 types in the painting plus the chippy and the robin, with the exception of the T53 many of us will have flown most of them!
However I pestered Tim and did manage to get him to do a short run of "artist proof" prints and I have an A1 sized numbered 1 of 5 hanging at home. (I know where 4 of the 5 went, so there may still be one available)
There are 12 types in the painting plus the chippy and the robin, with the exception of the T53 many of us will have flown most of them!
Picture from the past!
When I was appointed as CFI at 615 Gliding School I found the attached photograph at the bottom of the desk that I inherited! I assume that it was taken by Alex Watson (ex CFI and OC at Kenley) as he was a journalist and photographer.
It looks like it was a Cadet Mk II - Regn PD656. I can just about make out the wording on the fuselage as .....GLIDER.....WOOLWICH WING....
I am thinking that it was taken at Detling when Home Command Gliding Instructors' School (HCGIS) was operating.
All very sad really.....
It looks like it was a Cadet Mk II - Regn PD656. I can just about make out the wording on the fuselage as .....GLIDER.....WOOLWICH WING....
I am thinking that it was taken at Detling when Home Command Gliding Instructors' School (HCGIS) was operating.
All very sad really.....
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I have it listed as a Cadet Mk1. An interesting photograph but looking at the condition of it I don't hold out much hope for the occupant. Lets hope it blew away. Either way very sad.
Cadet MK1 Accident
Single seater and Woolwich wing leads me to think this possibly could be Kidbrooke,and of course ATC (as it became) Gliding then consisted of :- Ground slides,low hops,high hops,and eventually turning;without the benefit of 'dual control' or even an experienced instructor (who could be driving the winch).
George Nunn who later was the CO at 615 (60's-70's) had an accident at Kidbrooke of the slow/spin/crash variety (he got away with a damaged back).
Of course there was no recovery for this actually taught at the time as most of the flights would not have been high enough to develop a spin 'and recover'.
As George recalled it to us in one of his (caravan tales)'I lost control and the machine fell out of the sky with me 'jiggling' the pole to no effect'.
Luckily for us at Kenley he survived to form 615 into a well run unit that was a testimony to his complete dedication to 'Getting the Cadets airborne' and giving encouragement to us young loons that he mentored and encouraged to 'get involved'.
George Nunn who later was the CO at 615 (60's-70's) had an accident at Kidbrooke of the slow/spin/crash variety (he got away with a damaged back).
Of course there was no recovery for this actually taught at the time as most of the flights would not have been high enough to develop a spin 'and recover'.
As George recalled it to us in one of his (caravan tales)'I lost control and the machine fell out of the sky with me 'jiggling' the pole to no effect'.
Luckily for us at Kenley he survived to form 615 into a well run unit that was a testimony to his complete dedication to 'Getting the Cadets airborne' and giving encouragement to us young loons that he mentored and encouraged to 'get involved'.
Avoid imitations
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Also sad to report that Sqn Ldr Ron Page, for many years OC 611 VGS at Swanton Morley has recently passed away. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but by all accounts, once met never forgotten..
I flew my third ever trip with Ron Page, at Swanton Morley, in 1972 I think.
What he didn't know was that until that glider flight, I hadn't handled the controls at all because the other two flights were airtests late the previous day. I was allowed to go along because I hadn't been able to get in any instructional trips due to lack of airframes, so I was there for ballast purposes only.
Ron never asked what I'd already been taught, and as a fifteen year old I never thought to tell him "Nothing, yet, Sir!" because I thought he would already have known.
Well, he made me land it, much to my horror! He "talked" me down final approach, i.e. shouting from the rear seat. As it had no intercom, I couldn't tell him I really hadn't got a clue what I was doing. I landed it well enough but the right wing began to drop as we slowed and he told me to pick it up with rudder. I had two pedals to choose from and chose the wrong one. We ground looped. He bollocked me intensely.
He apologised (ish) when I told him I hadn't even touched the controls in flight before.
Reminds me of a cadet at 613. An instructor called out the name of a particular cadet on proficiency training, and when a cadet appeared at the door of the caravan, he assumed it was the one he wanted, so the cadet was duly strapped into the front seat of a Mk3. Several launches later, the instructor sussed something was amiss and asked the cadet how much experience he had. This was how the instructor discovered his pupil had not flown before and was with the AEG party and not for Proficiency training!!
Never flown before
I recall that 'progress cards' were introduced in the late 60's that were 'signed off' by the pevious instructor as to what stage the cadet had reached.
This did not mean that the Cadet was proficient in a particular excercise,but at least recorded that he was on a course!.
At the time it was 'suggested' that course Cadets could have several instructors over the duration of the training and that the 'records' would assist progress overview.
In fact what it highlighted was that a constant change of instructor would usually show itself in a protracted training time; a no-brainer really.
Even the Centre's could have issues with records as i found out by having to do an another couple of launches 'after going solo' in order to satisfy whatever the official min requirement was. (This was not an unique event) i later found out.
This did not mean that the Cadet was proficient in a particular excercise,but at least recorded that he was on a course!.
At the time it was 'suggested' that course Cadets could have several instructors over the duration of the training and that the 'records' would assist progress overview.
In fact what it highlighted was that a constant change of instructor would usually show itself in a protracted training time; a no-brainer really.
Even the Centre's could have issues with records as i found out by having to do an another couple of launches 'after going solo' in order to satisfy whatever the official min requirement was. (This was not an unique event) i later found out.
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Links that maybe of interest
Saltby (Buckminster GC) are holding a vintage Rally that should see some ex ATC types appear; see https://www.facebook.com/BuckminsterGC
Venture ZA634 has it's own facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/VentureZa634
and so does this T21:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/WB924...109169?fref=ts
Venture ZA634 has it's own facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/VentureZa634
and so does this T21:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/WB924...109169?fref=ts
How well I remember the old style, scratchy "dog-collar" ATC Uniform.
Pre T21/31 days.
