FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0951.PDF
The Ka-6 flown by Andy Gough Ornithologist Peter Scott (Olympia 4I9X) After three days of triangular and out-and-return races, some of those who yearned for the freedom of free distance were satisfied on Tuesday, June 5, when this task was set for League 2. League 1 pilots were to race around a 118km triangle with turning points at Broadway Tower and Faringdon Folly. The triangle was completed by 28 of the League 1 pilots, with Nicholas Goodhart logging 33.7 m.p.h., a clear 5 m.p.h. faster than anyone else, to take over the overall lead from John William son. But the main general interest today was in following the pro gress of League 2—as indicated by the numbered pins on the control room map. There is nothing like free distance for producing the unexpected. The liberty of individual choice and the absence of a "natural" or obvious direction combined to produce a rash of pins on the map which spread from Colwyn Bay, up on the North Wales coast, down to St Eval, near Newquay in Cornwall. Devonshire was par ticularly popular—or unpopular, if one regarded it as the unplanned resting-place of those who had the tip of Cornwall in mind. The 150 miles by Strachan (Skylark 3B) to St Eval was the day's longest distance, with Mike Bird second with 127 miles to Colwyn Bay. J. Delafield plus Eagle two-seater, plus two-seater bonus, moved into the day's second place on points for a flight of 119 miles to Bude. The overall placings of the leaders were now:— League Goodhart (Olympia) Williamson (Olympia 419) Deane-Drummon (Olympia 419) Burgess (Skylark 3G) Kahn (Skylark 3B) Strachan (Skylark 3B) Jeffery(Sky) Paul (Skylark 2) Jefferson (Skylark 3B) League 2 5. Delafield (Eagle) pts 2,985 2,766 2,611 2,563 2,525 3,872 3,137 2,775 2,688 2,588 Landing accidents to the Polish Foka and to Ron Willbie's Skylark 3B put these two machines out of the championships. Phil Jeffery in the London Club's Sky saw the Skylark under shoot into an earth bank at Parkham and threw away his own thermal to land in the same field in order to help Willbie, who was slightly injured. The Foka's fuselage was damaged on landing in a furrowed field at Stow-on-the-Wold. Wednesday, June 6, was Philip Wilis' day, a day on which the master added a new trick or two to his vast knowledge of gliding over Britain to produce a performance that was exceptional even by Willsian standards. League 1 pilots took their turn for free distance, while the task for League 2 was set as a 110km out-and- return race to Long Marston airfield, but was subsequently can celled. Low-circling Skylarks and Olympias over the Aston Down han gars formed an extra lunchtime attraction for those on the ground, as many of the League 1 pilots found local conditions too weak and returned for their second and third attempts. This local situation was, in general, repeated further afield. Even those who made reasonable distances were flying under difficult conditions in an extremely narrow height-band which rarely exceeded 3,000ft. By late afternoon the control room map told its own story. Most pilots had flown to the north-west and their pins were sprinkled towards and over mid-Wales. Two non-conformists had flown south-west into Devon—Rika Harwood to Watchet and Andy Gough to Tiverton; and J. S. Fielden (Skylark 3) had flown directly north to Onecote, south of Buxton. At 7.50 p.m. Anne Burn's crew telephoned in from Crediton, Devon, to learn the surprising news that their pilot had 'phoned just fifty minutes earlier—from Hawarden aerodrome, Chester, at the eastern edge of the North Wales coast. Someone had boobed. Not for the first time at a championship, and certainly not for the last, Philip Wills was last to 'phone back. And, as usual when he keeps us guessing, it was to pull something big out of the bag. The place was Crantock, south of Newquay, no less; the time of landing was 7 p.m.; and the distance—the day's best by a 50 mile margin—was 158.4 miles. The League 1 Leaders were now: (1) Goodhart (Olympia 419), 3,479 pt; (2) Deane-Drummond (Olympia 419), 3,086; (3) William son (Olympia 419), 3,067; (4) Burgess (Skylark 3G), 3,028; (5) Wills (Skylark 4), 2,889. (Details of Philip Wills' Crantock flight, and final days of the championships, in next week's issue.) ****************************#********#*******# Instruments Development Co-ordinator The appointment of Lt Cdr R. Brett-Knowles, RN, HMS Collingwood, Fareham, Hants, as instruments development co-ordinator has been announced by the British Gliding Association. He will act as a clearing-house for new ideas and projects in the field of instruments, radio (in conjunction with the BGA radio equipment co-ordinator) and batteries. Purpose of this appointment is that anyone working on a new idea can write to the co-ordinator and be introduced to others dealing with the same problem. He will also arrange for technical advice to be made available to pilots. Hampshire School of Flying Now known as the Hampshire School of Flying Ltd, the former Hampshire Aeroplane Club at Eastleigh has been acquired by two of its members, Mr Owen Hill and Mr John Habin, from Mr Vivian Bellamy, who was formerly secretary and CFI. Mr Bellamy, who had owned the club for eight years, has been quoted as saying that there was no question of the Hampshire Club being in financial difficulty; the sale was "purely a business deal." Eighth Founder-member of the Hatfield Man Powered Aircraft Club is Mr F. T. Watts, chief project engineer of the de Havilland Aircraft Co. Though his name appeared on page 864 of our May 31 issue the note "founder member" had been omitted from the list supplied to us. WJAC Pilots' Weekend A pilots' weekend was held by the Women's Junior Air Corps at Little Snoring recently. Arranged by Miss Hazel Prosper, aviation adviser to the WJAC, the course was restricted to PPL holders, all but one of whom were former WJAC scholarship winners. The McAully Flying Group generously handed over their club-house for the weekend and their wives provided all meals except breakfast. Object of the course, apart from getting everyone checked out on the Group's aircraft (Austers, Tigers and Tipsy), was a navigation exercise and a short written paper on aviation law prepared by McAully instructors. Owing to low stratus on the Saturday, cross-countries were not possible that day and flying was confined to the circuit; but the navigation exercise was successfully flown on the Sunday. WJAC are now looking for generous hosts elsewhere to provide a venue for then- next training weekend.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
