Sorry for the sideslip but is this something particular to glider folk?

I was talking to someone who witnessed ground crew at a glider training school during the 40's doing up-and-overs on a motorbike over Bellman hangar. I thought it sounded a bit far fetched but now you mention it... :D

ATC Gliding
 

I did my A + B at Swanton Morley in November 1964. Still remember arriving during a Sunday evening, in a thick Norfolk fog.. Also remember that one of the Instructors (I think it was Whittenbury) would, on the early morning trips, and just as you were set up for "an arrival", take over control and make a dirty dive for a mushroom patch he had seen on the flying field. What breakfasts.....
I also still have a copy of the "buff" Gliding Centre notes. Amongst other things, it includes the names of the Instructors. The OC was Flt Lt K E Bailey, DFC, then: Flt Lt I Ladley, Fg Off R G Gregory, Fg. Off G Naylor, Fg Off R Whittenbury and Fg Off D G King. I wonder what became of them?? The booklet also had a table which listed all the aircraft flown by the Instructors, from Ansons to Valiants, via Spitfires, Lancs, Typhoons (REAL ones), Wellingtons, Bombay, Sunderlands, plus at least another twenty single, twin and multi-engined aircraft... Bliss. I'm still scratching around in my parents loft for my 3822 so as to get to my Flying Log!!
AW

IFPS Man- Ian? Ladley and Duggie King were both still flying in the early 80s, working for the Trappers at CGS/CFS...Both names appear in my logbooks:yuk:


I must get myself a scanner when I'm back in civilisation in march, then I'll scan some 'interesting' pics from the 80s...:E

Unfortunately both Ian Ladley and Dougie King (aka Skull on a Stick) have passed on to that big gliding field in the sky. Ian flew Tiffies during the war. Dougie had a succession of London taxis for his personal transport. Both were great characters.

High Tow.

I can confirm that a motorcycle, in this case a Norton 850 Commando, will go up the side of a Lamella hangar with ease.

Coming down the other side, however, is a different matter!

eeeee...luxury.....you ain't done open cockpit until you've done Primary Glider (Grasshopper?)!! One of the most frightening experiences of my life......:ok:

You are easily frightened, the SG38 was great fun. :)

Old Tales
 

The tale is told of cadet Bloggs sat in the from seat of a Mark III at 618 at West Malling when what appeared to be a young cadet corporal ran across and said to Bloggs "No-ones looking - shall we take this up for a ride", and promptly jumped in the back, called for a cable and took off with Bloggs in the front terrified.

The young corporal was the CO's son ( and an instructor) who later went on to Fly Navy, and one weekend brought his Sea King, with an all ex Kent Wing crew, to a Maidstone hotel for the Wing Ball - after spending a day giving air experience at , I think, Rochester Airport. The departure next morning from the hotel helipad was a a bit noisier than the normal helicopters they were used to on a Sunday morning

Thanks for those photos, I did my course at South Cerney in 1968, joined the RAF a couple of years later (as a techie) & carried on gliding at the Bannerdown RAFGSA club at RAF Colerne.

I would have loved to have taken a MKIII up on a strong thermal day, but never had the chance.

First flight - in a Mk3 as an underage cadet at South Cerney with raindrops stinging my face.
A&B at Swanton Morley in 1967.
Have not been in a glider since, but the ATC started my career path. Over 11,000 hours now and still grateful to them.

Or RNAS Condor as it was (pre-1971) and RM Condor since then.

If only I had listened to my CO's recommendations re the gliding at Condor when I was a spacie with 38(F) Sqdn. Oh the callowness of youth :ugh::ugh:.

It was Linton in the early 70's for me, with the wind whistling through my silly grin once I'd gotten over the first launch - my first winch shot in the cabriolet and I thought we were going vertical into orbit, all I could see was cloud and the odd crow! Later helped out once or twice at Dishforth. Excellent bar, bunkhouse, bacon butties from the bus whilst running the wings and trying to escape from an industrial sized hangover, seem to vageuly remember a Spitmunk and an AgCat hauling the Tin Tank into North Yorkshire sky's. Thems twer the days .... :ok:

Just had a PM from an ex staff cadet at 621 which brought back memories- mostly involving strip clubs and drinking:} although getting the winch and Rovers bogged down brought back certain memories too:*

Hopefully, he'll work out how to upload pics, or send me them and I'll post them on here...if they're suitable:}

Good to hear from you Crabbo:ok:

Boy, do I remember that - one January day, around '85, temp about +4, and the rain at 38 knots felt like hundreds of pin-sharp needles thrown against your forehead!

We didn't get many of those at Manston but I did keep a Mk3 up for 6 minutes once :} - with a sprog!

(Just re-read thread & realised I'd already written about the rain-needles :O. Advancing age is a terrible thing.........)

Windriver -I too was a 645 'graduate' but started my training at Dishforth, which meant a drive up to Leeming after flying each night, for o/nt accommodation. Not the most pleasant of journeys in a packed, geriatric landrover. Leeming was also home to 11 AEF (I think) at that time.

We all relocated to Catterick about half way through my course, which took us from enjoying the luxury of a super sized field to something more akin to a postage stamp. And I do also remember a number of pretty quick circuits being a feature of Catterick life, but there was no shortage of flying time.

Fond memories, like so many of those who have responded to this thread :)

Anyone remember Alf Warminger at Swanton Morley,
maybe around 1960 or so ?

Wasn't he a genuine Sheriff of Nottingham ?

Well, he was Sheriff of Norwich. Active until the early 80's. Part of a memorable occasion when about 6 gliders in a competition landed on the beach near Cromer (the sea got in the way of further travel). PC Plod arrived on his bike and proceeded to ask for the names and licences of the pilots.

Pilot 1: "Name's Sir Peter Scott, here's my card, we don't actually have licences".

Only slightly undeterred, next pilot:

Pilot 2: "Alfred Warminger, Sheriff of Norwich - how can I help you officer?"

Plod departs on bike, muttering to himself.

It was scary enough doing my BGT in a T-61 ... only because one of the cadets from our squadron smashed one to bits on his first solo. His surname was Heap.:}

Remember the spoiler cables in the T31 were in reach of the instructor in the back seat.

Pulling them open one at a time provided pretty effective roll control. Great for taking cocky staff cadets down a peg or two.

Also from the back seat you could look up and see the sky in the gap between the two wings and then muse at the pair of ridiculously thin pins holding them on!

The altimeter in the back seat would underead by at least fifty feet in flight due to the high pressure area under the wing.

As a young staff cadet C cat at 633 back then, I was given a pair of size ten WW2 flying boots. Polished black leather and fleece lining still containing a small knife to cut off the tops in case of bailing out over occupied territory. The first time I wore them I was detailed to fly with a new A&B student. Having done the control checks before the cadet climbed in the front, we were launched skyward only for me to find my boots jammed in the two tunnels which went either side of the students seat. Having ground briefed the stude on the importance of aileron/rudder co-ordination to eliminate the considerable adverse yaw effects, I don't think he was too impressed with the subsequent 2 minute circuit with a 38 knot wind blasting his face first on one side then the other. Having managed to alight sucessfully, I had to wait for the student to vacate the aircraft, thus releasing the pressure on the tunnel sides before I could extricate myself. Never wore those boots ever again. It did, however, teach me the importance of doing pre-flight checks with the aircraft configured for flight.

Wish I'd still got those boots. They make a fortune on e bay.

Happy Days

I saw some once - I think they were called 'bucket boots' IIRC

Arc