Can anyone provide me with the title of this film I think I remember.
I saw this at the cinema in around 1970, so it must have been made in the late 1960’s.
All I recall is the ending – some crooks are escaping in a boat, and our heroes, at least one of which is a youth who looks about 14, race to a local airfield where they jump into a Slingsby T49 Capstan two-seat glider.
I recognised it as a Capstan when I saw it , and I started gliding in 1970, so it must have been when I saw it, and probably why I watched it. I was impressed that someone who looked my age could just take a glider up.
It is obviously based on a complete fantasy gliding club: Unless it was earlier established that they were qualified instructors (despite their youth) and club members (for insurance purposes] , no one stops them from jumping the queue and getting launched. Oh, and they take with them a supply of iron cannon balls. As you would.
Anyway they fly off a cliff top and spot the crooks and contrive to drop the cannon balls (via the clear vision window on the port side) onto the boat which sinks. Or something.
Anyway, I am convinced they were launched (by winch, otherwise they could have just taken the tug which would have been more plausible as a bomber) and off a cliff top. That suggests to me it was at Perranporth.
Can anyone provide me with the title of this epic ? And any details of where and when it was filmed ?
I want to add it to the list of 2 other films I know featuring gliding (Laurence Harvey who ditches his glider in a life-insurance scam in The Running Man (1963) and Steve McQueen who uses one to impress a woman in “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968, and again gliding features as an aid to seduction in the Piers Brosnan 1999 remake). But this one with the Capstan is a real stinker.
By: Flying_Pencil - 6th August 2018 at 22:35
Most interesting story! Gonna have to watch for the giggle. 😀
By: DazDaMan - 6th August 2018 at 22:26
Anyone remember the Childrens film foundation one where they armed R/C spitfires with darts to defeat the baddie? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmriLGO1WWQ
It will be of absolutely no surprise to anyone that I have this film on DVD….!
By: scotavia - 6th August 2018 at 20:02
The castle called Boyne was in County Galway actually Dunguaire castle in Kinvara county Galway., likely location for the gliding was Baldonnel and Curragh see http://www.dublinglidingclub.ie/about-us/history-2/ which notes car tow launching from grass.
By: Vega ECM - 6th August 2018 at 18:55
Capstan N555I S/N 1599 destroyed in the Nov 68 fire at Kirbymoreside.
Doesn’t look like Perranporth as I remember it.
My guess is this was cliff site location especially for the shoot. Given the a/c was N registered I expect Fred Slingsby sold it the production company and laid on the whole flying side. If this is correct I expect it’s NE England coastline. At that time he had developed some good relationships with film companies.
By: RAFRochford - 6th August 2018 at 17:41
Newforest hits the back of the net!
The whole film is on Youtube…and the ending is spot on!
By: Newforest - 6th August 2018 at 17:20
I would like to amend the above statement by adding that the alternative name for this film is ‘The Secret of Boyne Castle’ which does mention the glider being used as a bomber. I have not found any reference to the Cornwall connection!
By: Newforest - 6th August 2018 at 16:57
Not ‘Guns in the Heather’ as the only aviation content in that film is a BEA Trident!
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 6th August 2018 at 16:31
In searching for this I found this Austrailian film of the same name er……https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yNPGRKF6Rw
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 6th August 2018 at 16:30
Anyone remember the Childrens film foundation one where they armed R/C spitfires with darts to defeat the baddie? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmriLGO1WWQ
By: RAFRochford - 6th August 2018 at 15:57
Sorry, can’t help with the title, but was this a “grown ups” film as the plot sounds like something the Children’s Film Foundation would have done.
By: Ossington - 6th August 2018 at 15:46
I remember this film, but maybe earlier, 1968-9ish? Glider was towed by a car ISTR. Was it called “Guns in the Heather” or similar? A falling cannonball missed the baddies just (spoils the caper if someone gets killed) but punctures the boats timbers with a satisfying gush.
Sign In
August 6, 2018 at 2:03 pm