would do much to promote the flying of older gliders andencourage the young and not wealthy. Support his offer topublicise local restoration groups internationally, tell otherpilots how much fun you are having, and seek out those abandonedgliders which can be remarkably cheap. A forthcomingarticle I have written for S & G, on restoration may, or maynot, help as I have addressed both the fun and realities of thetask- from bitter experience I may add. Publication dates maymean you will have seen it before you read this.Our Objectives, printed on the inside cover of <strong>VGC</strong> <strong>News</strong>each issue, include, "the international preservation, restoration,and flying of historical and vintage gliders". Are we trulyan International Organisation? I 'I,hink nor, lrue we have manyoverseas members and we hold an inlernational rally, but Ihemajorily of our members are still in the UK. In many countriesmembership of the <strong>VGC</strong> is, as it should be, secondary to thatof Ihe counlry's own vintage organisation, France, the USA,Australia, for example. In other countries with no nationalorganisation we have a particular opporlunity, and obligationto help, but what do we offer? Very little really, other than anexample and encouragement, and my visits to Poland andFinland have shown me that this is appreciated. It is in the UKthat most of the existing benefits of membership apply, yet welose UK members each year. Our excellent <strong>VGC</strong> <strong>News</strong> thatbinds us all together and is frankly the only reason that manyoverseas members join, yet unlike some other vintage organisationswe charge overseas members more, for less benefits. Isthis the best way to increase our membership overseas? Whatdo our overseas members want? Write to <strong>VGC</strong> <strong>News</strong> or theCommittee and let us all know? UK members, what servicesdo you want, what can we do to help you recruit newmembers, will you write to us as well?Here is an idea for you to consider, that the <strong>VGC</strong> shouldbecome a truly umbrella or franchise organisation with theobjective of supporting all the national vintage movements,including a British VGc. How could this work? There is onevery simple way. <strong>VGC</strong> <strong>News</strong> is expensive to produce, butafter a base number the marginal cost of additional copies canbe quite cheap. Additionally, master copies can be transmittedelectronically, or printed copies su.pplied in bulk, evenunbound. National Vintage movements could then offer <strong>VGC</strong><strong>News</strong> as a service to their members, even binding in their localnews pages if they wanted to. The Church of England can doit, why could not we? That way new national groups oould beassisted, cost of membership would be reduced overseas,more members of say the US Vintage Soaring Associationwould become direct or indirect <strong>VGC</strong> members if the cost waslow enough. It would help the "Outer Mongolian <strong>VGC</strong>"•. orthe Indians to get going. We would become truly International,not just a British <strong>Club</strong> with o\l·erseas members who read ourmagazine, which is the way that mafly overseas members tellme they see us, and I see more of them than most.The Internet offers great opportunities, having our memberdatabase available to members world-wide, and searchable byglider type, skill level etc. A world-wide database of vintageand classic gliders, special interest groups, all of this is possiblebut requires the active involvement of yOll all, not just theCommittee. Our Web Master has offered space for National<strong>News</strong>, why not take it uP? How about new glider groups, thereis already, but not on our site, a "Fauvel" one I was glad to findas it has already helped my own restoration project.. The use of"links" is invaluable, we should set out to be the first port ofcall for international vintage gliding information. Try to find agliding site internationally where a particular glider type can beseen, we could do it with your help. Responsibility for sectionsof our pages could be spread internationally, to wherever timeor knowledge could be found, it is in your hands.Chris Wills had a brilliant vision when he virtually singlehandedstarted the VGc. Do we owe it to him to hand the<strong>VGC</strong> onto the next generation or not? Of course we do, but ifwe are to succeed we must take a fresh look at what we aredoing and your views are essential. What was it that PresidentClinton said of dictators, something like, "They don't needyour support, only your apathy" I think we have all becomeapathetic; get up and give voice to what you want, and howyou could help.fan DunkleyWe passed fan :\. letter Oil to David Shrimpton, the Chairmanofthe VCC, for his reply:Dear Editor, It is always gratifying to receive acknowledgementof one's written word! I listen to many member'sviews which I subsequently attempt to focus in my Chairman'scomments in the <strong>News</strong>letter. Therefore it will be interestingto see how this debate develops over the comingmonths. I'm sure the editor will welcome contributions fromour members whom I hope will have diverse and constructiveviews.Much of what Ian says is in total agreement with the viewsI expressed including the perception that vintage gliders canbe expensive. We know that many of our members are selfsufficientand have skills that enable them to undertake therestoration of a vintage glider him or her self and thereby savemoney. For those however who do not have either the skills orfacilities and who have to pay someone for this service,restoration can become very expensive. For instance, weheard of a Slingsby T21 reportedly costing £15,000 to professionallyrestore. Mind you, it was beautifully done. Onanother of lan's points, I cannot account for why there are sofew youngsters par,ticipating in vintage gliding but I dobelieve that in a consumer led society there are many otheractivities for youngsters and we have to compete for theirinterest. Perhaps they just find gliding too arduous or timeconsuming, if only I had the answer. I also said that I believewe have to strengthen our ties abroad, which is what I thinkIan is saying.Unfortunately with the <strong>News</strong>letter being written in Englishwe have problems with language barriers as well as Nationalidentities, Iilowever these difficulties are largely overcome byfriendships and because we have a common interest. Chris'svision, shared by many, is not bound by international batTierseither which is why we have Dedale, Oldtimer Segelflug <strong>Club</strong>Wasserkuppe, Vintage Soaring Association of America, LesFaucheurs de Marguerites and many others, all of whompossess their own identity but who when brought togetherform one large family. Long may this last.Finally, Ian has offered some innovative ideas for electronicdistribution of the newsletter. The committee hasdebated this general issue quite recently concluding that thecost of producing and distributing hard copy has to be met bymember's subscriptions. Administering other methods of distributionhas not been considered and as long as we still maintainsome level of control without too onerous an administrativeburden, maybe we should consider this as an opportunityfor the future.David Shrimptol1,Chairmall Executive Committee34
ClassifiedadvertsSmall advertisemenl.f are free 10 mem!,ers and arecharged al Ihe joil/ing rate for non members (seecenlre pages). Send your {ulverlS IQ GrllhamFerrie,; addre.H below.FOR SALESailplanes Vol 1 1920 to 1945 by MartinSimons. This is an entirely new comprehensivework by sailplane historian, pilot and model flyerMartin Simons. In the first volume 120 earlysailplane types from many countries aredescribed in the text and illustrated with morethan 300 authentic photographs, some in fullcolour. New, accurate and detailed three-viewscale plans of each type, with colour shading,have been drawn digitally by the author, Theseare based OIl the most exact information availableand have not been previously published inthis fonn. 256 pages, 225 x 280 mm, casebound.Price DO plus p&p from <strong>VGC</strong> Sales, 22 ElmAve, Watford, Herts, WDI4BE, UK.Slingsby Type 30 Prefect Items, New spares;Nose cone in original RAF Silver .£10, FuselagelStJU!fittings £5, Original Keil Kraft Prefectmodel' kits (2).£ 10 each, Original RAf OperatingManual may be available to appropriate aircraftOWner, Also rare and not so rare gliding books,'Kronfeld on <strong>Gliding</strong>' £100, 'British Sailplanes1922-1970' .£45, 'I Flew with the Birds' (HaraldPentose) £35. Also 'Happy to Fly', 'Free as aBird', 'Where no Birds Fly', 'The PowerlessOnes', 'The Story of <strong>Gliding</strong>', 'Meterology forGlider Pilots', these six books are all at £15 each.All books are in excellent condition and priceincludes UK Postage. There are some otherbooks, contact Nev Churcher, Jamaica Cottage,Jamaica Place, Gosport, Hampshire, PO 12 I LXTel 023 92 527202(evenings)Ka-4 Rhonlerche, complete with covered box!railer. Completely refurbished in 1995 and notflown since last C of A. Kept in hangered storagein North Wales. £800. Morris Goodman, Tel01623491935.Free Storage for glider trailers for membersliving o\ltside Devon either year round or just forwinter. Only cost is £20 Associate membershipof the <strong>Club</strong>. Contact Brian Peal'son at NorthDevon Airfield, Eaglescott Airfield, BlIlTington.Umberleigh, North Devon. EX3? 9LH. Tel01769520404.Slingsby SKY BGA686, Kinderscout n, inpretty original condition and a trailer that keepsit so. The allowable cockpit load Is 250 Ibs, soldwith C of A until August 2001. Colour Red &White (similar to one on back cover of last issue)£4000 ONO Can be seen at Sutton Bank.Contact ChJis 01845 527949 (evenings)Slingsby Kirb)' Kite 2B BGA 663. The widelyadmired red one with Ralph Hooper's "barndoor" airbrakes. Structure built in 1947 but COIllpletedas 2A by Slingsb)' in 1951, then extensivelymO
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