'TAKE UP SLACK'.pdf - Lakes Gliding Club

visibility at 4,000ft thought he was approaching
Bovingdon which was then an active airfield. When
overhead he saw a cluster of Nissen Huts with
large silver parked aircraft parked around them and
a distinctive octagonal control tower. He
immediately realised that this was not Bovingdon at
all but the partially developed Heathrow. With little
wind to help him get clear quickly and being
somewhat mesmerised by the implications of
where he was, he decided he would be less of a
hazard if he landed and so set off across the
ainway to the south of the airfield. On the way, a
Constellation airliner landed beneath him and a
Stratocruiser took off. Peter landed on the grass
near an Airtours hangar and phoned up the control
tower to announce his presence. The controllers
had not noticed his arrival and seemed only
concerned how quickly he could remove himself
and the Prefect. Peter's suggestion to have an
aerotow retrieve went down like a lead balloon so
he phoned up Dunstable for a road retrieve. The
following morning, two national newspapers had
got hold of the story of his landing and the Daily
Mail ran the headline 'Glider nosedives into the
ground at Heathrow'. Peter had to submit a report
to the Heathrow controllers and this happened
when the CAA were pressing to introduce licences
for glider pilots. Up to this time, there was no
formal instruction for early pilots on the techniques
for cross country gliding, one taught oneself. Ann
Welch was Chairman of the BGA Instructors Panel
and put up a counter proposal whereby the
introduction of the 'Bronze C with its requirements
for knowledge of Air Law would serve as a
'passport' for cross country flying. This was
adopted in the early sixties.
One morning, after a very late return from
attending the BGA Ball, several members were
seen at the launch point still attired in their evening
dress. These were pointed out by the knowing
members of the public on the Hill. 'Ah, they must
be the instructors' they said.
There is the story of Alan Yates who landed his
glider on a school playing field at Monmouth and
Mike Garrod
awaiting a launch
in the aerobatic
Jaskolka. John
Jeffries to left and
Don Gerrard.
was entertained to a cup of tea by the headmaster's
wife. 'I think people go in for such peculiar sports.'
she prattled. This gliding seems silly to me. Sorry
my husband isn't here, he's away caving'.
In 1956, the Suez crisis interrupted the supply of oil
to this country and petrol rationing was introduced.
Although winch launching carried on, there was an
immediate stop to aerotowing and members
experienced various difficulties in getting out to
Dunstable from London.
One suggestion to save fuel was to winch gliders
up and let them land on the Hill top and take
bungee launches from then onwards. A T.21 duly
made its Hill top landing and it was then found
that the bungee was so clapped out that it would
not move the two seater. It was then found also
that the only suitable trailer was in pieces so there
was no way of retrieving the glider by road. The
solution found was to trundle the T.21 down the
face of the Hill slope with many hands holding it
back and others slashing down the scrubby bushes
in the way.
From 1957 to I960, Wing airfield had not been
developed and the runways, although a bit rough,
were free of chicken sheds. Advantage was taken
of this and groups of Club members would take
gliders over there by road and spend the day
having autotow launches.
Shortly after the appointment of a new Club
manager, an impressive new sign appeared on the
office door reading 'Sqn/Ldr W.C.Chubb AFC, DFC
(Retd), Manager, London Gliding Club' This
formality was not appreciated by some of the
irresponsible younger members, and that night the
sign was swapped with another which had the
simple inscription 'Gentlemen'. The shining hour
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