Air Cadet Gliding pix in the 80s (pre glass)
Thought police antagonist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
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...personally, I prefer something a "bit more robust "than,, erm, thin air. You could see why it could be a shade problematic if Cadet Bloggs decided on his first launch he wasn't quite as enthused about gliding as he thought....on the other hand, easy access for controls maintenance guaranteed ! . Just out of interest, where's "the Bomb " or was this added on later marks ?...….had a few hrs in the Barge which was always "sedate " to fly . 
As best as I can recall, the Bomb modification didn't come along until the late 1960s. Prior to that, the other seat had to ballasted securely if solo flight was considered. I did have one exception; an extremely well self-ballasted navigator who was a great amateur chef. He was also a bloody good navigator.
I once flew a barge solo which didn’t have the bomb mod. The ballast was an RAF holdall full of bricks and a car tyre, strapped to the empty seat.
T 21 Ballast
When we started AE flying on a (tasked) regular basis many of the Cadets were quite young and 'light'. Answer to this situation was a spare T21 seat bottom (held in by dot fastner) to which had been bolted a thick slab of lead suitably curved to fit. (Gold was too expensive)
I suspect that the Woolwich Arsenal was the supplier of this 'mod ' as they provided most of the materials for our home built T31 trolleys.
I suspect that the Woolwich Arsenal was the supplier of this 'mod ' as they provided most of the materials for our home built T31 trolleys.
All Seds at 613 apart from one had provision for a 'bomb'; the sole exception (WB971) was flown solo by the CO, Jacko, who also provided his own built in ballast.
When flying AEG with a lightweight cadet in a Sed, we usually put a Mk 3 solo weight behind his seat.
When flying AEG with a lightweight cadet in a Sed, we usually put a Mk 3 solo weight behind his seat.
) - my initial reaction was of course ''stupid boy'' (or words to that effect) to which he replied ''honest''.So looks outside and sure enough he was correct,one of our senior instructors had taken off in T21 WB970 with a small/light cadet and I believe without having fitted a 'Bomb' - had low cable break and could not get the nose down - result spun in from (100ft ??).
The T21 woodwork fwd of the cockpit bulkhead was just matchwood with the metal flying control system parts clearly on view,cadet and instructor were not seriously injured luckily.
The Commandant - Air Comm Bob Weighhill was at the scene in his (Austin 1800 ??) before the ambulance -he was a big rugby man and had seen it happen from one of the sports fields.
Eventually we had a lovely albeit rather sad bonfire with the remains of this glider,from memory it was a bit slow to get going but once warmed up - it really went up nicely.
HaHa - the production T21 was not that robust around the cockpit area KnC,whilst I was on the staff at 613 Halton I was getting another Mk3 out of the Bessonneau Hangar with some cadets when one of the cadets told me ''a glider has just crashed sir'' (well he did not know I was just a corporal apprentice ) - my initial reaction was of course ''stupid boy'' (or words to that effect) to which he replied ''honest''.
So looks outside and sure enough he was correct,one of our senior instructors had taken off in T21 WB970 with a small/light cadet and I believe without having fitted a 'Bomb' - had low cable break and could not get the nose down - result spun in from (100ft ??).
The T21 woodwork fwd of the cockpit bulkhead was just matchwood with the metal flying control system parts clearly on view,cadet and instructor were not seriously injured luckily.
The Commandant - Air Comm Bob Weighhill was at the scene in his (Austin 1800 ??) before the ambulance -he was a big rugby man and had seen it happen from one of the sports fields.
Eventually we had a lovely albeit rather sad bonfire with the remains of this glider,from memory it was a bit slow to get going but once warmed up - it really went up nicely.
) - my initial reaction was of course ''stupid boy'' (or words to that effect) to which he replied ''honest''.So looks outside and sure enough he was correct,one of our senior instructors had taken off in T21 WB970 with a small/light cadet and I believe without having fitted a 'Bomb' - had low cable break and could not get the nose down - result spun in from (100ft ??).
The T21 woodwork fwd of the cockpit bulkhead was just matchwood with the metal flying control system parts clearly on view,cadet and instructor were not seriously injured luckily.
The Commandant - Air Comm Bob Weighhill was at the scene in his (Austin 1800 ??) before the ambulance -he was a big rugby man and had seen it happen from one of the sports fields.
Eventually we had a lovely albeit rather sad bonfire with the remains of this glider,from memory it was a bit slow to get going but once warmed up - it really went up nicely.
I arrived late having been on morning duty at West Drayton and found Reg in the office reading through the procedure for the investigastion.
Yep that is the one Chevvron.
I was told it was a spin off a low cable break,as I posted above - I was in the Hangar when it happened and have never seen an accident report for it.I don't remember it being absolutely next to the launch point but not too far up the field - long time ago so I certainly would not argue with anybody about it.
I have always assumed that TT and the cadet were just on or just over the min cockpit load,no bomb fitted and TT could not get the nose down to prevent stall/spin.
I was told it was a spin off a low cable break,as I posted above - I was in the Hangar when it happened and have never seen an accident report for it.I don't remember it being absolutely next to the launch point but not too far up the field - long time ago so I certainly would not argue with anybody about it.
I have always assumed that TT and the cadet were just on or just over the min cockpit load,no bomb fitted and TT could not get the nose down to prevent stall/spin.
Yep that is the one Chevvron.
I was told it was a spin off a low cable break,as I posted above - I was in the Hangar when it happened and have never seen an accident report for it.I don't remember it being absolutely next to the launch point but not too far up the field - long time ago so I certainly would not argue with anybody about it.
I have always assumed that TT and the cadet were just on or just over the min cockpit load,no bomb fitted and TT could not get the nose down to prevent stall/spin.
I was told it was a spin off a low cable break,as I posted above - I was in the Hangar when it happened and have never seen an accident report for it.I don't remember it being absolutely next to the launch point but not too far up the field - long time ago so I certainly would not argue with anybody about it.
I have always assumed that TT and the cadet were just on or just over the min cockpit load,no bomb fitted and TT could not get the nose down to prevent stall/spin.
Tommy was a nice bloke too; he was wandering about the launch point chain smoking and saying 'that's me finished then'.
I think he started at 613 about the same time as me, along with John Hartill and Nick Nicholls. Tommy had an MGA sports car, gave me a lift to Amersham one day (I lived in Chesham) and we did the ton along the Missenden bypass!
Tommy was a top bloke - he had a great sense of humour.Not sure what happened to him in the end - he flew with me at least once whilst he was grounded but I cannot remember how long he was grounded for.
I didn't realise he had an MGA,to be fair I do not recall any of the instructors cars except for Jacko's Peugeot with the 613 plate,often parked in the layby up on the top road to spy on us
I didn't realise he had an MGA,to be fair I do not recall any of the instructors cars except for Jacko's Peugeot with the 613 plate,often parked in the layby up on the top road to spy on us
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Age: 54
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Found my 3822 which shows a paltry 4 glider flights but has answered a question about why my gliding course in '86 was so suddenly ended.
Apparently I wouldn't have had time to complete the course before I joined up in the July.
Seems fair enough, I must have forgotten that over the years as I'd come to believe I was unfairly binned!
Apparently I wouldn't have had time to complete the course before I joined up in the July.
Seems fair enough, I must have forgotten that over the years as I'd come to believe I was unfairly binned!
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Either somewhere in the 3rd world, the land of cheese and wine, or possibly very occasionally, at home.
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The 621HF are now based at Nympsfield and we had a good day out in September... This is the Prefect 'WE992'...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Either somewhere in the 3rd world, the land of cheese and wine, or possibly very occasionally, at home.
Age: 59
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And I still fit! Although my child-bearing hips won't allow me a front seat view
