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Yeah takes me back to my days at 613 (Halton) Possibly a bit earlier than '86? I only say because when I did camp there in '88, they had glass ships.
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None of the fancy colour-schemes when I did my GS at Syerston.
All-over grey, pretty much like the weather for most of the week. |
Aaaah, that takes me back! Did 4000 launches in Mk 111s. Lots of hard work, but lots of fun. Those were the days!
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Did my first ever solo in a barge at Manston - happy days !!!
Are you sure about the date though ? I thought that by 1986 all the VGSs had converted to glass..... :O:O:O |
617 re-equipped with Grob 103s in June, 1986. I took this pictorial record of pre-glass operations because I knew it would soon disappear.......:)
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Did my gliding BGT in the autumn of 1985 at 661 VGS Kirknewton. T'was the first course conducted on the glass ships there, and they were one of the first VGS to convert.
Had mixed feelings about it: on the one hand the Grobs were new and flash, particularly to a 17 year-old, but part of me wanted to have soloed in the Mk3. Having a full canopy was a bonus in the end; open-cockpit winch-launches during Scottish winters were for the truly masochistic. |
Thanks for the pictures. They brought back happy memories of my solos at Swanton Morely in Feb 73. Do they still fly gliders there? I was amazed how the T21 stood up to the hammering they got from us cadets, especially some of my landings.
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Could you see where you were going through those welder's goggles? Just kidding.
Had a 20+ stone instructor when I did the gliding course. Doubled my normal height on the launch on my first solo. Nearly went around the circuit twice so I could start from my normal 700ft launch height! |
Funnily enough, the increased performance (ha!) sans instructor caught me by surprise too. That and having nobody to talk to.
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I soloed at Tangers in one. Oh lord over forty years ago. Never flew another until I found one with a donk in it. So lovely to see the pics though. Thank youn very much indeed. I have no pics at all from those days.
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Same here - I've no pictures of my glider flights, more's the pity.
I did my ATC A&B certificates with 617 GS at Hendon and Bovingdon. Its thanks to them I got the flying bug and have been close to bankruptcy ever since |
As a staff cadet at 618, I remember spreading the love by pi§§ing on the winch engine manifold during a launch - made for a happy time in the cab for whoever was driving ( pitman + james W ) at the time ! Then we would indulge ourselves in bloodsports by grabbing another certain staff cadet's wig (bagpuss ?) and putting that on the manifold too !!
Happy, happy days..... :D:D:D:D:D |
Many of 618's legends were passed on to 617 by Bunty, Edmunds (Mr. Man) and others. Don't remember that one though..............
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What was with the pooftah goggles |
So interesting to read these posts from those who first experienced the joy of gliding with the ATC. I enjoyed enormously the satisfaction of sending young men (no females then) off on their first solo at gliding schools. At the time I was flying desks various and the flying was welcome. The motivation most of these young men had and the time they devoted to gliding convinced me that the RAF should look closer at gliding schools for aircrew recruits.
More money and flying for the ATC has always been justified in my opinion. |
What about Kirton in Lindsey in the mid sixties as an Air Cadet gliding centre. Great fun. Not only did I solo illegally at 15 (nobody asked me my age) but also fell in love (lust) with a WRAF.
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Fantastic pics - reminds me of my youth too !
I flew almost all of the Air Cadet stuff then as a cadet and later, instructor: Grasshopper Swallow Sedbergh Cadet Mk111 Venture Vigilant Valiant Viking and even the Vanguard - remember her (what a babe - made the Viking seem a real dog by comparison) Missed the Prefect sadly......... I think we've seen the best of Air Cadet gliding though IMHO. :hmm: Arc |
Debden Sedburgh & Cadets
ME TOO, HAPPY DAYS AT Debden with the Sedburghs & Tutors - top fun !!!
(ex 276 SQN - 1969 - 1972) |
I went to Halton in I think it was 86. Great fun on Ventures.
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