Very sad and thoughts go out to all those involved and friends and family.

The damage to the Cessna is quite something and I am amazed that the pilot managed to return to an airfield and land successfully. It shows the importance of always flying the aeroplane regardless of the situation. Interestingly I wonder what considerations would have been made in handling the Cessna. I guess any change in configuration would have brought added risk, so perhaps best of with a flapless approach etc.

I could be wrong but whenever I hear of a mid-air between a powered light aircraft and a glider it seems that survivability tends to side with the glider pilot due to the ability to bail out if required. It is quite rare for both parties involved to land safely afterwards.

There are very few mid-airs between gliders and light aircraft other than glider / tug incidents - from elsewhere:

23 Jul 94 - Cessna 152 vs Glider mid air - minor injury to glider pilot
14 Jun 09 - Grob Tutor vs Glider mid air - both in the Grob died, glider pilot parachuted safely
6 May 12 - Mainair Blade vs Glider mid air (on landing) - microlight pilot seriously injured.
4 Dec 16 - Cessna vs Glider mid air - glider pilot died


4 in 24 years. There have been far more CFIT etc. in that time.

From the photo of the Cessna, it looks as if the tip of the starboard wing was damaged, and likely to cause a lot of drag on that side.
However from the cockpit, the pilot could not have seen the full extent of the damage, and all he knew was that more left rudder input was necessary.


As to why the glider pilot did not use his parachute, sadly, even the AAIB may never be able to find out.
.

We will need to wait for the report- But of impact was in the cockpit area it might have been not survivable from impact leaving the pilot unable bail out.

I am in possession now of the CAA response to this, having requested it from the coroner, because I had concerns, it is not restricted, I just wondered if I should 'paste' it on here?

Was overhead Farnborough; C152 made it back to Blackbushe.
Diana, Princess of Wales had departed clandestinely about half an hour previously having fooled all but one of the paparazzi she was flying out of Northolt, so we were just relaxing when the glider incident happened.
I was Farnborough Tower Controller and 'scrambled' our Fire and ambulances; we didn't know there had been a collision until the glider pilot was being transported to the medical centre and the ambulance driver told us he was raving about 'that light aircraft knocked my tail off'.
Unfortunately the Leicester Mercury pages aren't on the website now; who was the glider pilot in the HB collision?

The articles are still up, I've just done a quick search. The answers you want are there.

This phrase puzzles me - must I really understand HRH was taking the paparazzi for passengers? I always understood she tried to keep upwind from them ?? And then fooling those same people she just accepted and carried as passengers? The Brits have always been a bit queer, their royals not least, but this defies imagination.

And before anyone else says: my own royals have shown some queer pranks, too, yes, especially recently. Do not forget their ancestry was collected from Old Blighty!

Jan

Try this: "Diana, Princess of Wales had departed clandestinely [from Farnborough] about half an hour previously, having fooled all but one of the paparazzi into believing that she was flying out of Northolt"

Pffieuw, thanks! So nice to have some locals who can - and will - read between the lines. This way it does make sense.

Yes; James Goldsmith positioned one of his aircraft at Northolt and another at Farnborough. How they fooled the paparazzi into going to Northolt I don't know but just one guy on a motorbike turned up at Farnborough so I was told.
Next day we had another emergency; Challenger diverted in with a windscreen panel which had lost one of its laminations. Myself and a young lady controller on both of these days; I requested not to be rostered on weekends with her any more after that!! I think she still works there part time.

Nope. All I get is 'Sorry you can't find the pages you are looking for' when I click on the links.

Something wrong your end then. I can load the page on my phone and laptop.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/n...al-mid-1007771