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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 1798.PDF
18 June 1954 C07 CLUB AND GLIDING NEWS NO reader of Flight resident in Southern England needs to be reminded again of the type of weather experienced last week end. We believe it sufficient to record that the only airborne visitor to the Elstree Flying Club's At Home on Saturday last was one not only capable of reading with ease the names on rail way stations and signposts in the bad visibility, low cloud and rain en route, but if necessary able to stop and back up to re-read them. Yes, indeed—a helicopter. In spite of almost continuous drizzle throughout the afternoon, and a cloud-base averaging 500ft, the decision was made to go ahead as far as possible with the programme. Flour-bag bomb ing by Magisters, Austers and the Sikorsky S-51 ("minimum forward speed 80 m.p.h.," emphasized C.F.I. Ogilyy—"no hover ing") preceded a well-judged sailplane demonstration by Norman Preston of the London Gliding Club in a Gull I. After two of the club's Austers had been observed, and their speeds, heights and differences in height duly estimated, the agility of the S-51 and the alleged first-solo handling of an Auster were exhibited. From his viewpoint as sole passenger in the helicopter (flown by R. Crewdson), Flight's representative reported that such displays of yo-yo and spinning-top behaviour are even greater fun for the participant than for the spectator. The pilot of the mis-handled Auster was C. A. Nepean Bishop (having forsaken his customary "Maggiebatics" due to the low cloud-base); his frightening display, according to a number of those watching, was too much like the way some people actually do fly (on purpose) to be funny. Formation flying by five of the club's aircraft followed; three Magisters (flown by W. H. Bailey, D. F. Ogilvy and Nepean Bishop) and two Austers (A. Noyes and R. Wallis). The rough conditions being experienced were apparent, especially for the Austers, but did not spoil an excellent effort. Members and guests then adjourned to the club-house for eating, drinking and talking shop, together with competitions in aircraft recognition and in map-reading (of a sort), and back ground music from the radiogram. During a lull, David Ogilvy announced that Mr. Crewdson in Autair's S-51 had won the prize for the bombing contest, while club members Norman Brown and Richard Simpson shared the honours for height and speed judgment. As the party continued, Denham's C.F.I. "Wilbur" Wright spoke with a laugh of his club's optimistic breakfast patrol the following day; the gliding fraternity debated thermals, here and abroad; and we learned that Elstree's flying hours for May totalled 279. In the hangar, Bowles' glistening red-and-grey Gemini G-AKDK quiedy awaited Friday and this year's Nationals, while from the clubroom came the cool notes of George Shearing's "September in the Rain." And outside, three months early, it rained. WESTON aerodrome, Leixlip, County Kildare, is the home of the Aero Club of Ireland, which has just completed its first year of operation. There are over 60 flying members at present, who fly three Tiger Moths, four B.A. Swallows, one Auster, one Avro Cadet, one Taylorcraft, one Piper Cub and a D.H. Rapide. It is hoped to hold an air display and rally during September: for the benefit of visitors (who are always welcome) David Mont gomery (hon. sec.) points out some of Weston's advantages; "very pleasant countryside, only 10 miles from the centre of Dublin . . . the river Liffey bounds it on one side ... no land ing fees . . . hotel accommodation within walking distance." From Dublin airport the track to Weston is 254 (M) and the distance 12 miles; a useful landmark for visiting pilots is a small lake on the Liffey, at the western end of the field. PRESSURE of work at Elstree has caused David Ogilvy to resign as secretary of the Vintage Aeroplane Club; he remains on the committee, however, and is handling the entries for the club's Chiltem Hills Trophy Air Race, to be flown at Denham on August 2nd. This race, the results of which count towards the British Air Racing Championship award, is open to both vintage and modern light aircraft; entries should be sent to Capt. Ron Gillman, who is responsible for the organization of the race, before July 1st. THE part of the Air Training Corps flying scholarship scheme which functioned at Redhill has now been transferred to the Surrey Flying Club at Croydon, and the cadets are now flying regularly again. Flying hours for the last three weeks of May totalled 75, a satisfactory total bearing in mind the fact that only one Hornet Moth was available for the first fortnight after die RELAXED: A Meise and its crew, awaiting a launch at Scharfoldendorf, are framed (in this "Flight" photograph) by a gull-winged Minimoa during the 2nd T.A.F. gliding championships, described last week. club's formation, before the addition of Tiger Moth G-ANRA. Six new members have joined since the move to Croydon, bring ing the total membership to 75. HASTINGS (Pebsham) aerodrome has recently been re-licensed for private use for the summer months, and is now open again for light aircraft. Visiting club and private pilots are wel come, and fuel and other services are available. The operator is Mr. M. F. Macey, of Bexhill-on-Sea. ON Saturday, May 29th, the Derby Aero Club held its annual At Home, and mere was a healthy number of entrants for the various competitions. These were the Harben Memorial Trophy (won by David Ogilvy, of the Elstree Flying Club), the Air Schools Inter-club Relay Race (won by a team from the Wolverhampton Aero Club captained by their C.F.I., F/L. S. Robinson), the Woodward Precautionary Landing Cup (won by F. D. Ockelford), the Asher Forced-landing Cup (won by Peter Lilley), the Cooper Navigation Cup (won by Norman Green), the Stonier-Lilley Cup for die Best Student Pilot (won by G. A. Barrett), and the Keeling Cup awarded for the pilot scoring the highest overall aggregate of points in the competitions, which was won by Mr. R. Riddell. Cups and trophies were presented at the end of the competitions by the club president, Mrs. J. Harben Grice. Three days earlier, May 26th, the dub's new premises at Burnaston House were officially opened. There have been exten sive decorations and alterations to Burnaston House during recent months, and the hundred or so members who attended the opening and cocktail party were very appreciative of the new amenities offered by the club. Captain "Jock" Creber has recendy taken over as Chief Flying Instructor, and during 1954 so far he and his part-time assistants have had a particularly busy period. AN even bigger contingent of British pilots than in previous • years is invited by the organizers of the International Air Rally of the Swiss Watch, at Bienne, from July 2nd-5th. The picturesque old town of Bienne, on the slopes of the Juras, is alone worth the visit; other attractions are a flight over the Alps (with Swiss guide), a town carnival—and a Swiss watch. Entry forms may be obtained from the Royal Aero Club. TWO British sailplane pilots are taking part in an "inter national gliding concourse" being held at Lezno, near Poznan, Poland, from June 14th-27th. They are Dan Smith and C. A. P. Ellis, of the London Gliding Club, Dunstable, accompanied by A. C. Henessy as team manager. The invitation to compete was sent by the Polish Aero Club to the British Gliding Association: the contests, which are effectively the Communist countries' own internationals (these countries are not participating at Great Hucklow in die F.A.I, world championships this year), are ex pected to be attended by most of the eastern European states and also by France and Italy. The British pilots were to be loaned Polish sailplanes for the contests. ON Whit Monday, June 7th, a new British sailplane record for speed over 100 km was set up by Philip Wills in his Slingsby Sky. The 88 miles from Lasham to Cambridge, his declared goal, were covered in one hour, 50 minutes, at an average speed of 48 m.p.h., beating his previous record by 4 m.p.h.
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