Slingsby T21/Sedbergh Stories
 

Re the "Gliderpilots wanted thread" I know they were looking for WWII pilots, not Sedbergh pilots.

But does anyone have some good Sedbergh/T21 stories?

Oh and I'm still looking for the past history of ATC Sedbergh WJ 306.

The last time we asked. Ticketyboo reported having flown it in 1977 at Halesland.

But in 35-odd years in the ATC, thousands of kids must have flown in that glider - and more than a few first solos too!

So if you ever flew an ATC barge, with the wind in your hair (cos you would still have had hair then) please unearth the old logbook and check.

PS. WJ 306 is now FGB and I was flying her last Sunday.

I was with a 757 pilot celebrating his 40th anniversary of going solo - in a T21

I once flew a T21 solo to 7,500 feet over Kingsfield in Cyprus. If I recall correctly there were a couple of tyres strapped into the empty seat for added ballast, coz I'm only wee (or I was then :D )

Well that beats my 6,500' over Salisbury bus station with cadet puking over the side. But I think it was Derek Piggot who puts us both to shame with a T21 flight to 16,000'.

My most frightening moment in a T21 was when I totally cocked up a chandelle and turned it into a hammer stall. 600' seems awfully low when you are unexpectedly going vertically downwards.

So that's where that puke came from :D :D :D

Just remembered another one.. Weston-Super-Mare 1970something, this T21 had a canopy (luxury) which comprised two separate elements with a solid strut in the centre. Halfway up the launch one side became detached and wedged itself twixt wing and top of strut. Huge cloud of cr%p blows up from floor and blinds and chokes both pilots. Interesting circuit ensues!

Flew WB941 for a 3hr flight in'76!!

wub - I think that was the 'barge' in which I solo'd about 35 years ago at Merryfield. Mendip GC had a det at Merryfield in the summer of 1967 and I was allowed to be a civilian member. First 'solo' launch back-released as I started moving, second took 2 good pulls to release. Later we discovered that the Ottfur had pulled out of its mounting.

But the 'barge' I'd flown a couple of years earlier at Dunkeswell was a far better aeroplane - no horrid canopy, just the 2 little windscreens!

Jimgriff, not sure, but I think i flew 941 as a staff cadet at 615 VGS Kenley.

Or was it on a course at CGS Syerston with Peter Bullivant as the Trapper?

Lord, memories of the Sedbarge, when you're 17, it looks like a days hard ride across to the other side of the cockpit.

Wonderful old kite, made a hell of a noise on a beat up too :D

wub, I also have many hours in the 21 at Crusaders. Never got that high though. I was there 80-82. When were you? Paid a visit last week on holiday, and had a couple of launches in their K 13.:D

Beagle, The barge with the detachable canopy belonged to Woodspring GC at the time, known to the Bannerdown RAFGSA club members at 'Woodprangers!' My dad did his full BGA instructors rating and PPL at Dunkeswell, so he's probably flown that one too. I always laughed at the second 'C' in CBSITCB check on the barge, when you tugged at the wee windscreen things to see if they came off in your hand.

MightyG, I was at Crusaders in 1975. I also did a freefall parachute course at Kingsfield - worst scare was hearing an AAC Souix but not being able to see it!

I love the story of the T21 ridge soaring silently over a "courting couple" in the bracken below,
with the bellowed "stop that you dirty B******s" being taken as the voice of God and causing a nasty interruption to their proceedings.

But I've heard that one from several sources, so it may be an urban myth.

Ditto the one about pilots changing clothes in-flight, or more especially an in-flight Tee shirt swap with a female passenger - with "hers" being jettisoned before she can put it on.

I've also been told that puking overboard results in it all being blown back into the cockpit. Is this true?

My dad took me up in one in Kenya in the Seventies - well, when I say he took me up, it was to about 200ft at which point the cable broke... so my claim is for the shortest total-time in one, probably less than 30 seconds! So if anybody would like to offer me a ride...

Treadders...

hmmm, T21b stories.......

1. Last time I flew at Hinton in the Hedges, I lost the port canopy on finals.....helluva bang and very noisy. It wasnt half as nice as the ATC ones I flew at Bovingdon, Halton & Burtonwood..... and the wood had gone rotten around the silly little bolt that held it on, so it wasnt me that missed it on the check, honest Guv...

2. Got my Silver C in a Sedburgh at Halesland when they were burning strawberry fields at the base of the ridge. The turbulence back released me at 700 feet but I stayed with it, choking on the sweet tasting smoke up to 5000.... then went back down and did it all over again for my second qualifying.

3. Mate of mine at Halton (staff cadet) was going downwind with an AEF cadet when a radio controlled model aircraft smashed into his rear fuselage, luckily not breaking anything critical, but lodging bits of itself inside, with some bits passing clean through the fabric.

4. I remember a trip with an instructor where we got caught out and were a little low on our approach back to Halton. Standard technique was to use ground effect and try to hop over the hedge. Only problem was a herd of cattle in the way. We shouted and screamed at the cattle, they parted like Moses crossing the Red Sea, and we made it back to the airfield....just.

XN185
 

I flew XN185 solo @ Burtonwood and was too light for a solo trip but in the absence of any ballast and as it was marginal anyway, was allowed to go. Went up like a silent Lightning, 250` on top of the usual winch launch and was not in a rush to return to terra firma either.

Eventually returned for a short landing by the M62 motorway bridge, spoilers out all the way and side slipping like a good un cause it still did not want to land, when along came an unfriendly downdaught, major dose of adrenalin, straighten her up and bin the spoilers followed by touchdown and force the nose on the skid to stop before the concrete (runway) started.

5 mins later..... Do it all again, this time ready for mother nature, and enjoyed every minute of it. The summer of 76:) :)

Did Halesland in 77 but cannot find logbook to confirm if previous mentioned barge is in there. Believe XN185 is still owned by HQ ATC Gliding Schools, anyone able to confirm?

YOZZER

Would be nice to see some good pics of the old girl if anyone has one. I have one of the Halesland single seater which I think is a Swallow. X*695 I think

Never flown in a T21, but had my first ever flight in the tandem seat version, (T31), as a fourteen year old air cadet. Up until that point of my life I´d thought that skateboarding was the most
exciting thing there was.

Some of you have mentioned gliding at Dunkeswell. I did some parachuting and started my PPL there in the eighties, but never saw or even heard of any gliding going taking place there.
Do you mean the gliding site to the west of Dunkeswell, (North Hill?). If not then when did gliding cease at Dunkeswell?

The Devon and Somerset GC most ceratinly did use Dunkeswell in the 1960s, then later moved to North Hill. They had 'Rudolf' (a T21b), 'Nellie' (a T31), a couple of Swallows, a T49 Capstan (briefly - what a lovely aeroplane), a T42 Eagle owned by a syndicate, an Olympia and a couple of Skylark 2s and 3s also privately owned. Launch at first by auto-tow (ancient old Jag?), then 'auto pulley' or behind G-ANSM (Tiger Moth). Eventually by great big diesel winch!

I once saw a T21 come off the launch at Dunkeswell and then the student froze on the control column. The aircraft went past the vertical in the descent until the instructor could fight him off. It was horribly overstressed and the instructor (Howard Brunt) was very shaken.........

WRTO astir 8's comments re ridge soaring, it was commonly referred to at Halton in the early '50's as having happened above "The Pimple" where trainee "brats" were wont to court!

Also not unknown during the summertime for a bellowed question to be directed from a silent glider crew above a cricket match, enquiring as to the state of play!:D :D

astir8, we had a pilot in Cyprus who regularly traded T shirts with his more attractive passengers in the barge.:D

Treadigraph,

Yep, Staff cadetting at Kenley 1979-1981. Was with 1034(Surbiton) Squadron ATC, but invited to join 615 , having been identified as an "Intrepid Aviator" lol.

Personalities at that time included

The Brothers Freehold
Mike Riley
Mike Edwards (Love to hear that Afghanistan audio again Mike:) )
Clive Watson
Dave (Extremely mad) Owen
Dave Bilcliffe
Rob McNab, who I think went on to fly F-4's
Dave Crispin and Andy Gent, who I think did the same
"Mad" Clive Watson, the best Glider Pilot I have ever met, his father Alex was CO

and the EO was Brian Kemp, who I remeber being extremely upset and emotional, when they pulled the Ops block down (1980?)

Always interesting flying from Kenley, due to the length of the Airfield.......

Treadigraph,

If you really want another ride in a T21, then
contact Oxford Gliding Club and they can fix you up with a T21 ride - if they ask me nicely.
I seem to be their only current T21 instructor
(or the only silly f****** who prefers flying a T21 to German plastic .

Alternatively if you just happen to be passing Achmer (near Osnabruck) during the week commencing 20th July, it's the International Vintage Glider Club rally
There are at least six T21's entered - mostly German owned!
Also a couple of T31's if you fancy falling out of the sky even faster than in a T21.

Oh and about 110 other vintage gliders.
:D :D :(