1965 World Gliding Championships – RAF South Cerney

Have you seen the full day-by-day report on the champs. in S&G (Aug / Sept ’65)? If not, drop me a PM and I will see what can be done.

I can view it on the wonderful Lakes GC Archive thanks FH : )

I saw a pic of Bebe Sharman (+ school staff) a couple of years ago (on pprune ?),taken whilst he was the Adj at No 2 Gliding Centre , Kirton in Lindsay – I googled it last night but could not find it.

The prang sounded horrific – all aerotow students were carefully briefed about getting high on tow after a few Tug upsets,my gliding was predominantly winch until the 80’s when I finally got around to getting checked out on aerotows !

rgds baz

Glad you enjoyed it FH
I had forgotten about the Chippie prang !
Did the glider go too high on tow or some other problem ?

Too high on tow, I would say so! I witnessed the entire event. From the start the glider went up as if it was on a winch launch. A group of at the launch point stood there open-mouthed – there was nothing you could do about it. The tail of the tug lifted and there was no sign of a rope release. Suddenly the rope dropped from both ends but far too late for the tug to pull out of its dive and we heard it hit the deck just out of sight over a ridge in the airfield. I was standing alongside a Landrover, I jumped, said to the driver “Go” as it was straight ahead of us. When we got to the chupmink the pilot was trying to get out of the emergency window as he could not slide the canopy back (as is when the rear fuselage is broken). The dive was so steep that the aircraft only skidded one length. The rest I have already said…….

I was one of Andy Gough’s RAFGSA team from the Gliding Centre at Bicester. I have many very fond memories of the event. Little things like a comment made to me one day about a certain ex-Polish Air Force Officer, then serving in the RAF, “L is a very good interpreter (of the eastern block languages), the only problem is he can’t speak English”. But certainly he would sort the problem for you!

Then there was the lady commissar with the Russian Team and her crushing handshake. Ouch!

Have you seen the full day-by-day report on the champs. in S&G (Aug / Sept ’65)? If not, drop me a PM and I will see what can be done.

Glad you enjoyed it FH
I had forgotten about the Chippie prang !
Did the glider go too high on tow or some other problem ?

11/06/1965 …. WP986 Chipmunk T10 7 AEF Crashed after it was overrun by the glider that it was towing at South Cerney, Gloucs. It was on detachment as a glider tug for the World Gliding Championships

Oh wow! What memories this brings back as I was there, taking part, on the ground as an ‘Open Class Marshal’ (ref my Gliding Log Book).

The Championships have remained in my mind ever since – one big happy international family. Without any doubt the very best event that I have ever been to, let alone been part of.

This has sent me looking for the Sailplane & Gliding (magazine) with the report on the event. Tears to the eyes! And even a picture of the rather bent Chipmunk -I was first on scene and shocked to find that it was Bebe Sharman who I was trying to help out of the cockpit. Only later did I realise that I was standing on a ruptured fuel tank. But who cares as long as Bebe was safe.

Thank you bazv for the very happy memories.

Here is another video…
This time a black and white Movietone film…
Including some chipmunk porn,some air to airs (inc Dart 32) and some footage from a Slingsby Capstan 2 seater…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHFQ9bKIL40

That Edelweiss too is still around and flying…

Thanks again Richard – nice thread on AIX : )

Here is a nice pic of the control tower,Edelweiss glider in foreground – pic from Les Grand Planeurs RC website

Many thanks Richard : ) another of life’s little mysteries solved and a still very recognisable bomb dump- I had always assumed that it would not be a million miles from Splasham.
One further question if I may – is the WW2 Crookham Glider Assembly area within that pic ?

rgds baz

Baz
I dont have personal knowledge of the location but googling found the Airfield Information Exchange has a thread http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?1720-Unknown-locations-photographs that shows the Crookham glider assembly site to have been further to the left of shot from where your picture was taken, the site was apparantly incorporated into what became the much expanded Greenham SAC Base when it was rebuilt in the 1950’s in preperation for the B-47’s, I do remember them though.

Richard

Thanx for that, Bazv.
They truly are delightful little aircraft. Very direct control response, and very reasonable performance (even when flown inverted).

Pleasure Eric – I have always had a soft spot for ‘bubble’ canopy gliders ,I had a Standard Libelle (201b) for 3 years – another delightful little glider and with no vices !

rgds baz

Baz
I grew up living close to RAF Greenham Common and know the area well, your picture is taken a mile or so to the East of the runway centre line, looking North with the Thatcham industrial park in the middle distance behind the Dart, and Crookham under the Oly. The Greenham Common bomb dump is centre left.
Richard

Many thanks Richard : ) another of life’s little mysteries solved and a still very recognisable bomb dump- I had always assumed that it would not be a million miles from Splasham.
One further question if I may – is the WW2 Crookham Glider Assembly area within that pic ?

rgds baz

Thanx for that, Bazv.

They truly are delightful little aircraft. Very direct control response, and very reasonable performance (even when flown inverted). Don’t fly one low and slow though, they have a nasty bite when stalled asymmetrically, and will sometimes reverse direction in a spin if opposite rudder is held in a little too long.

The Sagitta is such a pretty glider – here is a ‘Flight mag’ photo of her about to be towed by a Chipmunk at South Cerney…

The Dart has been lovingly restored some years ago, and is flying from Tibenham.

I note that one of the participants was the Dutch Sagitta prototype flown by Ordelman. Since it is being rebuilt by a friend of mine, I would love so see any pictures people might have of it at South Cerney… The restoration is superb, and has been a labour of love for nearly some decades now, nearing completion.

During the 80s I spent a week in the Officers Mess at South Cerney. On the wall of the ante room was a painting of a Slingsby Dart commemorating the Championships. I was dismayed to see that the painting had, at sometime, been splashed with beer and my dismay turned to horror when I saw the artists signature, Coulson. That painting is one expensive beer mat.

Baz
I grew up living close to RAF Greenham Common and know the area well, your picture is taken a mile or so to the East of the runway centre line, looking North with the Thatcham industrial park in the middle distance behind the Dart, and Crookham under the Oly. The Greenham Common bomb dump is centre left.
The Lasham gliders were often about in those days, usually in a big gaggle.

Richard

I also have this ‘Flight’ poster which shows Olympia 419 (31) flown by John Williamson and Slingsby Dart 17 (32) flown by Nick Goodhart sharing a thermal (somewhere over southern england ?)
They trained/practiced from Hampshire (Lasham ?)

Here is a pic of the poster,I have never managed to work out exactly where it is taken – any ideas on here ??

Incidentally I was given the poster by my old gliding syndicate partner – who is the son of the ‘Flight’ reporter covering the 1965 championships and it has become one of my favourite pictures – many thanks Dave : )