Air Cadet Gliding pix in the 80s (pre glass)
Thanks C16,
That's the one. What an odd design with those swept-back wings.
Edited to add, that you can see a glimmer of the future T-21 in the design.
That's the one. What an odd design with those swept-back wings.
Edited to add, that you can see a glimmer of the future T-21 in the design.
Last edited by India Four Two; 8th May 2013 at 04:34. Reason: I can't spell.
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This fascinating thread inspired me to search my loft for my 3822, which brought back memories of my ATC gliding course.
I spent four days at Kirton in Lindsey although we didn't fly on one of the days due to heavy rain. The weather throughout the course was miserable but the flying was fun.
I remember sitting on the train on my way home clutching my certificate feeling very happy. However, nearly fifty years later, and a bit more experience, I wonder whether I should have been up there on my own after 57 minutes instruction. I suppose that "Ignorance is Bliss".
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Its not the flight time so much as the launches needed to complete the syllabus. As long as the syllabus had been taught and you'd shown enough aptitude to pass the solo check then all is well!
I'm still amazed how quickly students learn, particularly if there is continuity in their training. I did my Proficiency over four weekends and from memory went solo in just over 1 hour airborne, but continuous course students were frequently going solo after less than 40 minutes and in 1-2 days!
I'm still amazed how quickly students learn, particularly if there is continuity in their training. I did my Proficiency over four weekends and from memory went solo in just over 1 hour airborne, but continuous course students were frequently going solo after less than 40 minutes and in 1-2 days!
57 minutes instruction
The T21b that I soloed in, was a floater by comparison - about three minutes per circuit!
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Not sure that other than the name Slingsby, aileron shape and general construction method that the Falcon III had any onwards linkage to the T21,
As far as I understand, the Falcon III was an enlarged Falcon 1 which was in turn the Falke designed by Alexander Lippisch.
The T21 was an enlarged Grunau Baby designed by a Mr Schneider - in fact there is a German joke that Slingsby meant to build a Grunau Baby but used inches instead of centimetres and it came out a bit big!
We took our Sedbergh to Fairford a few years back - a lot of ex ATC guys showed up telling tales of going solo after seventeen four minute circuits etc!! Elfin safety??
As far as I understand, the Falcon III was an enlarged Falcon 1 which was in turn the Falke designed by Alexander Lippisch.
The T21 was an enlarged Grunau Baby designed by a Mr Schneider - in fact there is a German joke that Slingsby meant to build a Grunau Baby but used inches instead of centimetres and it came out a bit big!
We took our Sedbergh to Fairford a few years back - a lot of ex ATC guys showed up telling tales of going solo after seventeen four minute circuits etc!! Elfin safety??
Last edited by astir 8; 13th May 2013 at 13:02.
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I must have been a slow learner - dusted off my old logbook to reveal 82 minutes and 25 launches to solo on T31's over one month in Feb/March 1962 with 622 at Christchurch. That included 8 minutes thermalling on one flight over the old de Havilland factory - yes, thermalling in a T31! First solo in XN246 which is now in the Solent Sky Museum. Loved it so much I carried on as a Staff Cadet before getting Auntie Betty to start paying for my flying the following year.
Instructors recorded in my logbook were Cullen (who spun in T31 XN247 that August avoiding an Auster), Longman, Hylton, Hopkins, Collins, Lasenby, Clarke, Pugh, Bradley, Bowman, Lovell, Turrell, Rock, Dave Pascall (who went to BA via Hamble), Burt, Earl, and of course the CO, Ron Hayter. Happy days!
Instructors recorded in my logbook were Cullen (who spun in T31 XN247 that August avoiding an Auster), Longman, Hylton, Hopkins, Collins, Lasenby, Clarke, Pugh, Bradley, Bowman, Lovell, Turrell, Rock, Dave Pascall (who went to BA via Hamble), Burt, Earl, and of course the CO, Ron Hayter. Happy days!
Last edited by CharlieOneSix; 13th May 2013 at 15:25. Reason: Found names of two more Instructors
Do Not Under ANY Circumstances enter cloud. Got that Laddie?
'Wot appens when der cloud falls on yer ead sir?' 3rd Solo Kirton after 22 launches. Freezing cold with driven snow showers and lowering cloud base. 'We'll get you off when this shower passes ......' Found myself entering cloud at about 800ft on the launch. In retrospect the mind boggles!
Anyone got any photos of Kirton circa 63?
Anyone got any photos of Kirton circa 63?
CharlieOneSix,
That's a list of names to bring back happy memories. I think that I was the last person at 622 checked out by Ron Hayter for carrying passengers. That was at Old Sarum of course.
That's a list of names to bring back happy memories. I think that I was the last person at 622 checked out by Ron Hayter for carrying passengers. That was at Old Sarum of course.
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Prangster
Perhaps we were at Kirton at the same time? 800ft cloudbase, freezing cold, windy. We pulled off before entering cloud, made four 90 degree left turns (not allowed to turn right due to buildings) and somehow the airfield always appeared under the nose. It would have been nice to have learned how to turn right, but that had to come later at Camphill and Long Mynd.
Perhaps we were at Kirton at the same time? 800ft cloudbase, freezing cold, windy. We pulled off before entering cloud, made four 90 degree left turns (not allowed to turn right due to buildings) and somehow the airfield always appeared under the nose. It would have been nice to have learned how to turn right, but that had to come later at Camphill and Long Mynd.
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I called in to Old Sarum in October 1964, just three months before I got my RN wings and managed to scrounge a couple of rides with Collins and Clarke. Unfortunately I can't recall the vast majority of the Instructors' first names - I suppose they were all "Sir" in those days.
I was definitely a slow learner; started at 613 on 3-10-64 and soloed on 7-11-64; 38 launches including my 3 solos, total time 2 hours dead.
Instructors:
Mike Duncombe*
Phil Plows (Chief Flying Instructor)
John (?) Chapman (can't remember first name)
Robin Miller (later became full time at CGS)
Chris Rust D'Eye
Paul Duncombe*(twin of Mike)
Dennis 'Jacko' (what's the holdup?) Jackson (CO) for solo checks.
*Their sister Judith was a teacher at my school!
Instructors:
Mike Duncombe*
Phil Plows (Chief Flying Instructor)
John (?) Chapman (can't remember first name)
Robin Miller (later became full time at CGS)
Chris Rust D'Eye
Paul Duncombe*(twin of Mike)
Dennis 'Jacko' (what's the holdup?) Jackson (CO) for solo checks.
*Their sister Judith was a teacher at my school!
Last edited by chevvron; 14th May 2013 at 03:52.
I did a week introductory course mainly on a T21 at an airfield in Kent in the 80's when a teen. Cant remember the name of the field but the instructor's first name was John and was brilliant. Need to find my gliding log book. I didnt solo during the week but did so soon after.
in fact there is a German joke that Slingsby meant to build a Grunau Baby but used inches instead of centimetres and it came out a bit big!
The following is not Air Cadets, but I hope it is of interest. My first glider flight was in the Air Scouts T21b at Lasham in the early sixties. We had gone down for the weekend and after the briefings in the hangar about safety, signalling and where not to push, we went out to fly.
As usual, the flying roster was organized in alphabetical order and so, as usual, I was the last one on the list. So I waited patiently all day, doing the signalling, hook-ups and wing-running. Finally my turn came.
Our instructor was a tall, bearded Naval pilot, who in retrospect, looked a bit like Sharkey Ward, but then maybe all Naval pilots with beards look like Sharkey!
He had done a morning tug shift and then flown four-minute circuits all afternoon and so was presumably a bit bored by the time we launched. It was an auto-tow using an American pickup truck - the first one I had ever seen.
We released at about 1000', straight into a thermal! We climbed to 2200', floated around for a while before descending. "Would you like to see a loop?" "Yes, please, Sir!". So with me holding onto the shoulder-straps like grim death, I did my first-ever loops, in an open cockpit glider.
My colleagues on the ground were green with envy. So sometimes, it's worth being Tail-end Charlie.
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Air Cadet Gliding pix in the 80s (pre glass)
When I saw my name in Airclues' post it sent me to the loft as well. I can confirm that we managed only three days flying that week. It stretched our time-filling alternatives and used most of our supply of old films but it also sharpened our efficiency on the days we could fly. I'm glad it worked out for you Airclues.
The most concentrated instruction we ever gave was for one chap who wasn't able to arrive on a week's course until the Friday. All the other cadets had gone solo so he had a glider to himself for as much flying as he could manage. After occasional breaks and mealtimes he was still coping in mid-afternoon on his 20-somethingth launch so the last three launches of the day were his triumphant solos.
Incidentally, Airclues, Peter Bullivant, who did your pre-solo check, went on the train Prince Andrew. If I can find out how to post pictures I'll track down some from Kirton Lindsey.
The most concentrated instruction we ever gave was for one chap who wasn't able to arrive on a week's course until the Friday. All the other cadets had gone solo so he had a glider to himself for as much flying as he could manage. After occasional breaks and mealtimes he was still coping in mid-afternoon on his 20-somethingth launch so the last three launches of the day were his triumphant solos.
Incidentally, Airclues, Peter Bullivant, who did your pre-solo check, went on the train Prince Andrew. If I can find out how to post pictures I'll track down some from Kirton Lindsey.
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Isn't PPRuNe amazing!
gyp
Many thanks for being my very first (of many) instructors. Despite the cold, it was great fun and made me determined to fly for a living. Although i continued gliding at Great Hucklow, Long Mynd and Booker, I never got to fly another open cockpit glider. My sixteenth birthday was on the Tuesday of the course (26/11/63).
I'd love to see any photos of Kirton in Lindsey at that time;
http://www.pprune.org/spectators-bal...une-guide.html
Many thanks for being my very first (of many) instructors. Despite the cold, it was great fun and made me determined to fly for a living. Although i continued gliding at Great Hucklow, Long Mynd and Booker, I never got to fly another open cockpit glider. My sixteenth birthday was on the Tuesday of the course (26/11/63).
I'd love to see any photos of Kirton in Lindsey at that time;
http://www.pprune.org/spectators-bal...une-guide.html