A Pleasant Surprise...

[petermcleland]

Just discovered that an aeroplane that I flew rather a lot, is in the Southampton Museum of Aviation:-


I flew XN246 228 times as an instructor on 617 Gliding School first at Bovingdon and then Manston

[Techy111]

What year Peter....?

You may have taken me up on my ATC air experience flight...... :flying:

My first ever flight was in one of these when i was 13......

I nearly S*** myself.......

Tony

[JohnWillimas]

Peter, it looks like you sitting in the back seat too! :flying:

This would make a good pair for the T21B if anyone's looking for a little modelling to do!

[petermcleland]

What year Peter....?

You may have taken me up on my ATC air experience flight...... :flying:

My first ever flight was in one of these when i was 13......

I nearly S*** myself.......

Tony,

I was instructing on these from March 1969 till April 1973...we did do some AEF as well as instructing the 16 year olds for their Gliding A&B...I have a couple of logbooks of my gliding flights and all the cadets names are recorded there

[Nigel H-J]

That must surely bring back some happy memories Peter.

Nigel.

[airboatr]

-

[Techy111]

Peter.....I was 8 in 1973.......so i don't think you were my pilot.....

Tony

[petermcleland]

Peter.....I was 8 in 1973.......so i don't think you were my pilot.....

Hmmm! Sorry I'm so old...617 Gliding School went on for many years at Manston after I left...Was it Manston that you flew from?

[Techy111]

I Think it was Peter......I was in 342 Sqn ATC from Brentford.....It might have been where the Airships were made.....cannot remember the airfield....?

I'll try to dig out my old ATC logbook.......

I still vividly remember that flight and the Groan the old girl made when it was winched up......(The Glider groaning Chaps.... )

I swore i was going to die and wanted nothing to do with flying after that short 7 minute flight.....

I remember them asking us who wanted to go again......Lots of tough 13 year olds saying "you go...! Nah i had enough...YOU go...."

That old kite scared the hell out of me.....

Funny though because today i would kill to fly in one.....

Tony

[Paul K]

I did the ATC gliding course at Swanton Morley in Norfolk in 1973. In addition to the open tandem-seat types such as Peter's, there was a Sedbergh with an enclosed cockpit which was very comfortable indeed. The instructor ( with myself in the other seat ) set the altitude record for the course, though don't ask me what it was. Never went solo because too much time was lost to bad weather. :roll: