FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1082.PDF
LASHAM ENTERTAINS Surrey Gliding Club at Home INCLUDED in the programme of Lashatn Gliding Centre'sAt Home on July 28 (referred to in last week's issue) was a varied and well-timed flying display organized by Lome Welch. This began with aerobatics in an Olympia by Derrick Goddard, followed by a demonstration flight of the World Champion T.42 two-seater. This aircraft was flown from the back seat by Lome Welch, who described various aspects of the circuit over the air- craft's Pye "Gliderphone" radio, which was switched through to the ground public-address system. Alan Cronin next showed off the graceful lines of the pre-war Slingsby Petrel in a slow-flying display, after which the perils of "landing away" in an Olympia were realistically brought home to the guests. Those involved in this episode were "Mac" Mackenzie, pilot; Jean and Dick Watson as two small (six-footer) children, and a talented, anonymous, two-man cow. Smart work by the retrieving crew resulted in a seven-minute de-rigging and stowing of the Olympia in its trailer. The last item in the pro- gramme was provided by Frank Irving in Phoenix, Imperial College's Skylark 2, who gave a low-tow beat-up and a selection of well-judged aerobatics. Before die display, the visitors sampled flights in two-seaters flown by club instructors. Afterwards, cocktails were served in a specially erected marquee next to the clubhouse. Among the guests were Sir Alfred Le Maitre (M.T.C.A.) and Lady Le Maitre, Mr. Frank Beswick, M.P., and Mrs. Beswick, Mr. G. Gardner (Director of the R.A.E.) and Mrs. Gardner, Cdr. R. A. Allen, M.P. (Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister), A. Cdre. Lane (Chairman of the R.A.F. Gliding and Soaring Association) and Mrs. Lane, G/C. A. Gatward (Station Com- mander, RAF. Odiham) and Mrs. Gatward and Brigadier D. S. Gordon (President of the Army Gliding Club). Record figures for the first six months of 1956 were announced by Wally Kahn on behalf of the Lasham Gliding Centre on this occasion. Activity during this period (including that of private owners) had comprised 11,074 launches, 2,031 flying hours, and 4,969 cross-country miles. Of this last total club flights had accounted for almost 3,000 miles, starting from auto- tows (9,555), aerotows (412), and winch launches (341) and logging a total of 1,651 hr. This year's expansion is expected to be some 25 per cent on membership and launches, and almost 100 per cent on hours flown and cross-country mileage. On July 30, a new British 100-metre speed record was set up by Derrick Goddard, who flew a Skylark 2 from Lasham to West Mailing (63 miles) in 53 minutes, averaging 71 J Derrick Goddard (top right), a resident instructor of the Surrey Gliding Club, flew Olympic "Pedro" (top left) at the Lasham At Home, and set up a new 100 km speed record in a Skylark 2 two days later. Right, the difficulties of gliding, as demons- trated, include "smalV children and cows. A special marquee was erected next to the clubhouse (below), whence members and %guests watched the flying. Other photo-graphs appeared on page 203 of "Flight" last week. "Flight" photographs
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
