Hello there
What wonderful memories..I served at RAF Spitalgate and Flt Lt Peter Bullivant was one of my officers and became a friend, infact he was my best man when I married while serving at Spitalgate.

He wrote the book Round the Pole Flying while I was serving with him. We had a round the pole club and the aircraft that I flew (electrically of course)was model of our RAF Chipmunk used for glider towing. After many years I found a copy of the book which now has pride of place in my library.

And yes, Peter was indeed a gentleman.

Kind regards
Mike (Taff) Ashcroft SAC retired

Hello there
I served at Spitalgate1967/72. The flying instructor to whom you refer would have been either Flying Officer Jack Ward or viz Albert Johnston. During the mushroom season we all battled for the best mushroom site we then took them to the Mess and to cook.

We were a great team, just like a family at Spitalgate.

Best Regards
Taff Ashcroft

FLTLT BULLIVANT AND SQNLDR CRUMP
 

Post from 2010 or thereabouts. "Spitalgate was the home of 644GS - a weekend school commanded by Flt Lt Albert Johnson. No 2 Gliding Centre moved from Kirton Lindsey to Spitalgate in November 1965. Peter Bullivant was one of the staff instructors, having previously been CO of the Gliding School at RAF Henlow (can't remember its number). George Crump was never on the staff of 2GC but was CO of 633 GS at RAF Cosford.

I have some photographs, surprisingly few, which I shall dig out and post.

Gyp "

I never actually saw the photos and wonder if you had a chance to post them please? Cheers...

As a 16 year old air cadet I did a gliding course at Spitalgate in summer 1971 and Peter Bullivant was my instructor. The weather was awful so none of us went solo although I did get a few launches in the T31. The T53 was there at the time and I managed to get one launch in that also, possibly with Peter - I must try to find my old 'Record of Service' books!

I have a memory that one of the instructors at Spitalgate had flown on the Amiens prison raid in WWII. Can anyone confirm this or am I mixing this up with somewhere else?

Bullivant
 

Great memories. I took my first glider flight in 1964 - with Fg Off Bullivant. We were in Sedbergh 948. We soared off the winch and had a 22 minute flight. Magic. I soloed in 1965 aged 16 in a T31 at Spitalgate.
I'm fairly sure that first flight was at Spitalgate but it was possibly Kirton in Lindsey. I also flew with Fg Off Derby. He'd say "I've just got to have a Jimmy Riddle" and go to the back of the T31 and pee on the tail. Great guy!

I went on to glide at Husbands Bosworth and fly power in Hong Kong and Australia. I competed in aerobatics and owned a Pitts Special S1 for some years. I'm now 71 and back gliding (and instructing) with the Southern Cross club south of Sydney. I also fly the Pawnee tow planes. I have so far resisted the urge to pee on the aircraft. No photos - sorry!

I think you'll find Pete was also the instructor for Andy's older brother at Milltown gliding school.
Don't think Willie and Harry did gliding did they; certainly not Eddie?

There is a Facebook page for ATC gliding instructors and one of its recent posts contains a group photo around a T31 and includes Pete Bullivant

Peter Bullivant was the CO of 616 GS at Henlow when it first started in July 1958. At the time he worked in the Technical Publications Dep't of de Havilland Aircraft Co. at Hatfield. It was always said that 616 was the De Havilland Gliding Club, as so many of the instructors and staff cadets worked there.
I recall being on the very first one-week course there in Aug 1958 and being the first 616-trained cadet to go solo. Robin Millar had done his first solo there, but he was mainly Halton trained. He was another DH apprentice at the time. I count myself fortunate to have become a Staff Cadet together with a fellow DH Engineering Apprentice, the late Stan Easton. Another Staff Cadet was Roger Morrisroe who later became CFI at Nene Valley Gliding Club where a number of 'Refugees from 616' still fly, me included.
I 1963 Peter Bullivant left DH and Henlow to become a full-time Staff Instructor at No.1 Gliding Centre and he was replaced by John Allan, who was another DH person, in his case a Flight Test Observer. He went on to fly in the Concorde as a Flight Test Engineer.
Ah, happy days.