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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0740.PDF
750 FLIGHT, 1 /ww 1961 THE NATIONAL GLIDING CHAMPIONSHIPS Young Pilots Reach the Top BY KENNETH OWEN Illustrated mainly with "FLIGHT" photographs r I iHIS country's best-ever gliding championships—this was the I unanimous verdict on the ten days at Lasham which ended on_X Monday, May 22. A record run of good-weather contest days— nine for League 1 and eight for League 2—resulted in some 50,000cross-country miles being flown. For the pilots, their retrieving crews and the contest officials, it was an exhausting but satisfyingmeeting. As listed in Flight of May 11, there were 50 competing aircraft inLeague ] and 40 in League 2. The flying up to and includingjWednes- day, May 17, was reported in our issues of May 18 and May 25.The League 1 lead was held from the very first day by Sgt John Williamson of the RAF, flying an Elliotts Olympia 419X. League 1 returned to the Cornish milk-run on Thursday, May 18,with a 191-mile goal race to Perranporth as the day's task. League 2 pilots were set a 65-mile race to Nympsfield. The sparkling weatherof two days earlier was not repeated, but seven pilots reached Perranporth. In order of speed, they were Williamson (Olympia419X, 45.2 m.p.h.), Burton (Skylark 3F, 40.7 m.p.h.), Scott (Olympia 419X, 39.8 m.p.h.), Stephenson (Skylark 3F, 38.8 m.p.h.), Smith(Skylark 3, 35.8 m.p.h.), Mann (Skylark 3F, 33.5 m.p.h.) and Dim- ock (Skylark 3F, 30 m.p.h.). Only a mile short were Brennig James(Skylark 3F), Anthony Deane-Drummond (Olympia 419) and David Cretney (Skylark 3B). Jerzy Adamek, one of the two Polish pilots who were flyinghors concours at Lasham, did well on this day by flying the Surrey Club's Skylark 2 a distance of 186.5 miles to Newlyn East. This wasthe day's best performance in a standard-class sailplane. Meanwhile, ten competitors in League 2 had completed the raceto Nympsfield. The best speeds were set up by Fielden (Skylark 3, 32.4 m.p.h.), Kerridge (Skylark 3F, 28.2 m.p.h.), Neumann(Skylark 3F, 27.3 m.p.h.) and Davey (Eagle, 25.5 m.p.h.). After The Duke of Edinburgh visited the championships on May 19, and was greeted on arrival by Mr Philip Wills (centre) and Mrs Ann Welch Williamson's Olympia 419X over Lasham handicapping adjustments, the day's leaders on points were Davey,Fielden, Dickson, Russell, Greenway and Kerridge. On overall points the leaders were now:— PointsLeague 1. 1. Williamson (Olympia 419X) 4,980 2. Burton (Skylark 3F) 4,3343. Scott (Olympia 419X) 4,078 4. Deane-Drummond (Olympia 419) 4,0565. Wills (Skylark 3F) 3,945 P. G. Burgess was leading the standard-class entries in his Ka-6. withH. P. Hilditch and C. Wills (Skylark 2B) second and G. Coatesworth (Olympia 401X) third. Points League 2. 1. Kerridge and Purnell (Skylark 3F) 3,6182. Bacon and Clarke (Olympia 2B) 3,571 3. Chandler and Newholme (Olympia 2B) 3,4364. Carr and Greenway (Olympia (2B) 3,257 5. Fielden and Berriman (Skylark 3) 3.109 Unco-operative weather on Friday, May 19, provided a soundenough reason for League 1 pilots to be given a rest day. For League 2, after a postponed briefing, free distance was declared. The Duke of Edinburgh arrived by Whirlwind helicopter to visitthe championships during the morning. During his visit Prince Philip, accompanied by his Equerry, Wg Cdr John Severne, spokewith Philip Wills and Ann Welch of the BGA, David Carrow of Lasham Gliding Society and other competing pilots and officials,and called in at the launch point. Reappearing at Lasham for an unexpected second visit that afternoon, the Duke inadvertentlyincreased the local circulation of this magazine as his Whirlwind's rotor-blade downwash hit the Flight sales stand outside the briefingtent. Prince Philip made an unscheduled stop for a good-humoured chat with Flight salesman Ted Mills. "I suggest you sit on themnext time," the Duke advised. The day's best performance in League 2 was a 39-mile flight toWorthing by Alan Purnell, who, flying on alternate days with David Kerridge in Surrey Gliding Club's Skylark 3F, had notched up a700-point lead by this time. G. C. Fisher from Nympsfield was second with a 32.5-mile Skylark 2C flight to Ford, and K. A. Aldridgein his Olympia 2B was third with 29.1 miles to Barnham. J. W. Pickles (Olympia 2B) and B. J. Davey (Eagle) landed at Tangmere.28 miles from Lasham. Although the top place appeared secure, there was a reshufflingof pilots lower down the list. On total points, the picture was now :— PointsLeague 2. 1. Kerridge and Purnell (Skylark 3F) 4,518 2. Chandler and Newholme (Olympia 2B) 3,838 3. Bacon and Clarke (Olympia 2B) 3,778 4. K. A. Aldridge (Olympia 2B) 3,472 5. B. J. Davey (Eagle) 3,463 The League 1 task on the opening day of the championships had been a race over a 70-mile triangular course with turning pointsat Thruxton and Welford, and this was again specified on Saturday, May 20. On this occasion, however, the course was to be flown inthe reverse direction, with Welford as the first turning point. For League 2, it was to be distance along a line through Bidcford.Devon. "Mainly weak to moderate thermals, but occasionally good nearcloudbase" ran the met forecast. Winds were northerly, and there was plenty of strato-cumulus and haze about. Or, as met-manWallington phrased it later that day, when it was clear thn1 to
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