VGC News/Newsletters - Lakes Gliding Club

VGCNews
No. 92 Winter 1997/8
Contents
From the Chairman
I
From the President 2
Club News & Accounts for 1996 2
VGC Prizegiving 5
Rally Reports
13th French Vintage Rally 6
Olympia 50th Anniversary 7
Aventoft 9
Woodworms 10
VGC Rendez-vous 11
25th VGC International Rally 13
Wachtesberg 22
9th Swiss Vintage Rally 23
British National Rally 24
Shrivenham 26
End of Season Rally 27
Features
I The Condor 28
2 Dr Kiittner's Epic Flight .32
3 Saltby to Hus Bos in a T31 .33
4 Towing with Microlite Tugs 34
5 The Streak 35
6 Knights of the Popping Corks 36
7 Restoration of Grunau Baby BGA 370 37
International News
Australian 37
Belgian .,38
British 38
Czech 38
Dutch 40
French .40
Gennan .41
Obituary .41
Letters .42
Classified Adverts 44
3 View Drawings
Condor IV 30
Spalinger SI5-K 39
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
Firstly, having recently attended the International VGC Rally
in France I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of
the Vintage Glider Club, to acknowledge and thank Maurice
and Isabelle Renard and their team for their efforts in producing
a very successful rally and, although I was not there, I
would also like to thank Christian Mathieu and his team at
Pont St Vincent for a very good Rendez-vous.
I should also like to thank the Wtichtesberg Club for their
kind hosting of the British contingent who, unable to meet the
pre-requirements of the French authorities, held a very successful
rally in Germany.
During the meeting of the International Council at Bar-sur­
Seine agreement was reached on the venues for future rallies
as follows:
In 1998 the Internat'ional Rally will be held at Nitra (Slovakia)
and the Rendez-vous will be at Zbraslavice in the
Czech RepubJ.ic.(For those who regret not buying Czech
crystal last time this will be a welcome announcement and
remember, prices at Nitra wiU be vcry cheap)
In 1999, the International Rally will be held at Aventoft
(Northern Germany) with ~he Rendez-vous at Achmer
(Osnabmck)
For the year 2000, the bid from the USA was seen as
impractical due mainly to the transportation problems associated
with getting there from Europe. It was agreed, therefore,
that both the VGC and the IVSM will hold major rallies
during that year, the VGC Rally to be held in the UK the
bil1hplace of the VGC, whilst the IVSM will hold a rally at
Elmira, USA.
Whilst on the subject of foreign rallies, we were joined at
Bar-sur-Seine by the President of the Federation Fran~aise de
Voile aVoile, M. Andre Monet, who is a keen vintage glider
supporter. He is very sympathetic towards the difficulties
being experienced by the British members, but also confirmed
his belief that we will all eventually have to comply with
common EC regulations for pilot licencing. The International
Council were impressed by his address and presence at our
meeting and proposed that he be made an honorary member
of the VGC for the period of his office.
Other issues discussed by the Council included a lively
debate on whether to officially recognise younger gliders.
Many gliders currently entered in our rallies are not strictly
vintage. We welcome these machines at our rallies because
they are often interesting and their owners support us.
We already have a definition of a vintage glider; however,
the objectives of the Vintage Glider Club clearly state that we
promote not only vintage but also historic gliders. This means
that we can consider younger gliders to be within the existing
rules. Encouraging owners of such gliders to join us will