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Aviation History
1958
1958 - 0120.PDF
122 FLIGHT, 24 January 1958 Club and Gliding News OPPOSING views on the future of the British gliding move-ment were put forward with vigour and eloquence at a well-attended Kronfeld Club debate on Wednesday of last week. The motion, "That this house wants gliding in comfort andjoy," was itself an indictment of the decadence towards which the movement was heading—in the opinion of the opposing speakers,David Carrow and Michael Gee of the Cambridge Gliding Club. Proposers Wally Kahn (Surrey G.C.) and Beryl Stephenson(London G.C.), however, insisted that amenities and civilized comfort were essential—though this did not imply luxury in theform of chromium-plated gin-palace-type clubhouses. Discussion from the floor was lively, and included contributions from SirRoger Conant, M.P., Betsy Woodward (who disproved the assumption of absolute comfort at U.S. gliding sites); and FrankKinder, architect responsible for the design of a projected national gliding centre, which, on view for the debate in the form of draw-ings and a model, aroused much interest. The final vote produced a large majority in favour of comfort and joy. Chairman for thedebate was Ken Owen of Flight. | Year changes at Elstree included the appointment of W. H.x " Bailey as chief flying instructor of Elstree Flying Club, follow- ing David Ogilvy's move from that position to be chief instructorof Air Schools, Ltd. Mr. Ogilvy is now administratively respon- sible for all flying and ground training within the Air Schoolsgroup, and his duties will include the resuscitation of the now- dormant Derby Aero Club.Ground tuition in the Elstree Club's full-time course for the Commercial Pilot's Licence and Instrument Rating, which beginson January 28 3 is in the hands of Capt. E. Brook-Williams, whowas for many years superintendent of navigation for B.O.A.C. Advanced and specialized Link Trainer instruction will be byBrian Garwood and Ben Hazzard. Claiming to be the only club or school in the London area offering a complete ab initio ground andflying course "under one roof," Elstree expect to complete the C.P.L. syllabus (for which the total fees are under £1,000) in32 weeks, with an extra 6-9 weeks for the Instrument Rating. Most of the flying will be in Chipmunks, but twin-engine con-versions will be included. Training in the use of radio equipment is carried out at Luton Airport, and arrangements have been madefor Luton Homer to be manned in connection with night cross- countries. Students from France and Germany are among thosewho have enrolled for Elstree's C.P.L. courses. Last year's flying total at Elstree Flying Club was 3,822 hours,with an average of seven aircraft on the training strength, com- pared with 3,709 hr and nine machines in 1956. A RECORD total of 6,671 flying hours during 1957 has been^*- reported by Fair Oaks Aero Club. In an endeavour to reduce the noise nuisance to local residents, the circuit direction at FairOaks is to be changed every four hours and long exhaust pipes are being fitted to the club's Tiger Moths. "P VALUATION of the first Rollason-built Druine Turbulent-*—' (which made its first flight on January 1) "as a low-cost aeroplane for training, sport and recreation" is being carried out byLt-Cdr. Jack Overbury, R.N.R., on behalf of the Tiger Club, owners of the machine. Among amateur enthusiasts who havealmost completed the construction of Turbulents (working from Popular Flying Association plans) are the Rev. P. J. O'Kelly ofBelfast, and 16-year-old Edgar Taylor of Spalding. A RECENT Air Ministry statement that there are in existencea total of seven R.A.F. flying clubs (reported in our issue of January 17) has been amplified by the Popular Flying Association,who point out that there is in addition a further R.A.F. club based at South Cerney. This club and four of those listed by the AirMinistry are affiliated groups of the P.F.A. The Association has also assisted former Auxiliary squadrons to form groups: 604Squadron has formed P.F.A. Group 107 and 600 (City of London) Squadron are at present in the process of affiliating their group tothe Association. OVER 90 members and friends attended the Hogmanay dinner-dance of the Scottish Aero Club. Last year's flying hours at Perth showed an increase of 442 hours over the 1956 total; analysisof the 1957 operations shows an increase of 505 hours on cadet flying and a decrease in club flying. During the year 16 clubmembers and 22 cadets obtained P.P.L.s. The J. C. Henderson •Cup for the best performance in P.P.L. tests was won by A. Band,with J. Watson second and D. Grieve third. "Flight" photographs Three-view photographs of the Rollason-built Druine Turbulent single- seater which, as reported on this page, is now being evaluated tor the Tiger Club by Lt-Cdr. Jack Overbury. ACTIVITIES of the Australian Women Pilots' Association dur-•**- ing 1957 included the Women's Air Reliability Trial, and the annual general meeting in Adelaide during October. Winner ofthe reliability trial was Grace Cavanagh of New South Wales; while the Evelyn Follett Trophy for 1957 was awarded to Dr.Dorothy Rutherford for "outstanding flying in club competitions during the year," which resulted in her appointment as captain ofthe aerobatic team of the Royal Aero Club of New South Wales. Federal president of the Association is Mrs. Marie Richardson. EXCEPTIONAL soaring conditions over France on January 8resulted in eight flights exceeding 5,000 m (16,400ft) from the national centre at St. Auban. Mile. Dupuy de Mery achieved aheight gain of 22,300ft to an absolute altitude of 27,200ft in a Breguet 901, and among seven otiier flights to heights of between19,000ft and 27,200ft was one by Herr Fiesenig of Germany to 23,000ft in the prototype Wassmer Javelot. M. Landi also achieved27,200ft in a Breguet 901, with a height gain of 24,000ft. EVENING wave-flying over Frocester during the last days ofDecember is reported by the Bristol Gliding Club. No fewer than 150 members and guests attended the club's Christmas partyat Nympsfield. Peter Collier, resident instructor-manager, is spending two months in West Africa, and on his return willorganize the Bristol club's summer courses for 1958. PROBABLE sites for the competitions during the 1958 NationalSoaring Week are Nympsfield (Bristol G.C.), Camphill (Derby and Lanes G.C.), Detling (Kent G.C.), Dunstable (London G.C.),Port Moak (Scottish G.U.) and Sutton Bank (Yorkshire G.C.). /"J.LIDING courses for beginners will be the subject of a number*J of informal talks at the Kronfeld Club, 74 (basement) Eccleston Square, London, S.W.I, to be held at 8 p.m. on the firstTuesday of each month, beginning on February 4. The talks, organized by the British Gliding Association, are intended to givenewcomers to gliding advance details of the available courses.
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