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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0492.PDF
492 FLIGHT Hawkinge impressions (reading anticlockwise from top right): a Primary is given the rare chance of a winch launch and some real flying—for demonstration purposes only; a Sedbergh on final approach; a T.31 being launched; a close-up of a Sedbergh over the airfield; and T.31 ground-handling after a first solo by Cadet Michael Walker. "Flight" photographs Gliding at Hawkinge The Home Command Gliding Centre THE attractive recruiting bait that is A.T.C. gliding, whichaccounted for almost 100,000 launches during 1955, has sinceSeptember last been offered in the form of continuous courses, as well as normal weekend training. These one-weekcourses are provided for A.T.C. and C.C.F. cadets, in addition to other gliding training, at the Home Command Gliding Centre,a lodger unit at the R.A.F. Station, Hawkinge, Kent. Until September 1955 gliding instruction for cadets was pro-vided at 43 weekend gliding schools throughout the country. For reasons of economy, it was then decided to reduce the numberto 20, the aim being to maintain the annual number of cadets trained at the existing level. This was accomplished by thesetting-up of the Home Command centre at Hawkinge, which also took over the functions of the previous Instructors' Schoolat Detling, and the start of one-week courses for cadets not having access to local gliding schools. Some 400 cadets are expected tobe trained annually at the centre. Cadets begin their course at Hawkinge with basic training onSlingsby T.21B Sedberghs, and this is followed by dual circuit practice on T.31 Tandem Tutors (known in the Service as CadetMk. 3s). After a total of some 30 launches, first solos are made from the front seat of the T.31, and most cadets achieve pro-ficiency certificates equivalent to F.A.I. "A" and "B" certificates, having logged 35-40 launches during the week. Selected cadetsmay receive further training and may obtain advanced certificates of F.A.I. "C" standard. All launches are by winch. The total number of A.T.C. launches achieved last year was99,449, the number of proficiency and advanced certificates awarded being 1,585 and 86 respectively. While the CommandGliding Centre at Hawkinge is staffed by regular R.A.F. per- sonnel, plus J-dass officers and civilian instructors, each of the20 weekend schools has four R.A.F.V.R.(T) officers and about nine civilian instructors. Commanding Officer of the Hawkingecentre is F/L. R. C. Jones. The training and checking of gliding instructors is anotherresponsibility of the Hawkinge unit, two months of each year being set aside for categorizing and re-categorizing. Between 35 and40 continuous courses for cadets are organized annually and, in school vacation periods, the schoolmaster instructors who give"football pitch" training hops in primary gliders to school cadets are themselves trained in the techniques of such instruction. [Gliding Instruction for Naval Cadets: page 494]
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