Gliding 1950 - Lakes Gliding Club

formerly used for initial training at Bourn.
The change from solo to dual training which
this involves has been combined with a
change in the site at which the initial
training takes place. All aircraft have now
been transferred to Cambridge, since the
Airport authorities have been kind enough
{O allow us full facilities for training there.
We are hoping to eliminate the relatively
large cost of solo training due to the
number of small accidents of inexperienced
pilots who had been thrown up into the air
for the first time.
Meanwhile, as we a"ait the. repair of the
damaged aircraft, we have been making do
with the Cambridge I. IlOW about sixteen
years old and familiarly known as the Pons.
At a camp at the Long Mynd in June,this
aircraft was flown for three separate fivehour
sorties in a single day. Since then she
has been taken on a 50-mile goal flight to
Soutbend by R. E. J. fbbotson, and has also
borne a number of first soloists. So,
handicapped as we are, we are not entirely
crippled.
D.S.B.
Gloucestershire Gliding Club
ESPITE the inclement weather and a
D certain amount of ham-handedness on
the part of one or two of our members,
some good soaring has been cJlperienced on
our site at Staverton, thermals having been
on tap most days when flying has been in
progress. Membership has not shown the
increase that was hoped for, but old stagers
have admired the progress made by
youngsters who were but a year ago budding
raw reCruits. A new winch, the designing
and building of which has been in the
capable hands of Oave Dennett, is now
almost ready far christening. In fact,
dur,ing the serious deliberations of a session
of the Committee recently, speech was
suddenly made inaudible by the shattering
roar from the V.8 engine from the adjoining
workshop as some final adjustments were
being made. Had an exhaust manifold been
fitted the noise might have been bearable,
.but this is still one of the items needed for
completing the unit.
The recently acquired Kite I has become
a great favourite, and owing to the fact that
It has obtained mOle "C" certificates (and
"C's" have to be earned on tbermals on
this site) than our Prefe::t, it is becoming
more and more popular. Geoff Brian also
demonstrated that its cross-country
capabilities a~e not to be sneezed at. The
same pilot, however, became very Unpopular
when, on another occasion recent!}'.
he stooged about in the vicinity for over
three hours in the same aircraft without
going more than 10 miles from the site. His
previous experience of landing at a uclosed
aerodrome" and nearly being ~locked up for
the week-end in the guardroom must have
dampe(l~d his venturesome spirit.
Mr. W. T. Fisher entered his Olympia
in the National Competitions and was ably
supported by a ground crew from club
members. Another member, Lt. Col.
N. J. Dickson, D.S.O., represented the
Army Flying Club at the competitions.
Search is still going on for a suitable
permanent hill-soaring site, and the latest
efforts are being concentrated on the
Nympsfield district.
The flying capabilities of glider pilots
was admirably demonstrated recently by
two members of this gliding club who
joined the local j)Qwer-f1ying club, when
both were sent solo on powered aircraft
after only It hours dual instruction each.
The IWO pilots in question both started their
flying careers with the Club.
I N
Indian Gliding Association
appreciation of the interest taken by
the Communications Ministry of the
Government of India, the Association bas
named the first two-seater sailplane
imported from the U.K. for training
purposes "Kidwai." The second, due to
arrive in Bombay later, will be named
"Khurshid La!." The Association has
already named its Olympia sailplane
"Jawahar," after the Prime Minister.
The first two-seater was successfully testflown
at the Fersinji glider-drome On
10th July, by Mr. F. H. Irani, Chief Pilot
InstTuctor of the Association.
To popularise gliding among the youth
of the country, the Association proposes
to organise joy-rides for students ofschools
and colleges in the State of Bombay at the
end of the monsoon this year.
The Air Headquarters ofthe Government
of India proposes to train 59 gliding
instructors shortly.
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