BOAC Gliding Club Christchurch

You should try asking the question on the Vintage Glider Club wall on facebook. Some one may know.

Dave

Thanks I’ll give them a try.

You should try asking the question on the Vintage Glider Club wall on facebook. Some one may know.

Dave

Thanks for all replies.

My info re the formation of a club in 1946 came from a reliable source.

So , I wonder , was this 1946 club stillborn?

Maybe this?
http://www.airwaysflyingclub.co.uk/history.aspx
“The Airways flying club was formed in 1948 under the name of the Airways Aero Club, by employees of British European Airways (BEA) and British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).”
“Originally the club flew from Denham, Hurn and Whitchurch, operating a fleet of Miles Magisters.”

and than this:
“The establishment of a Gliding Club was the end of a saga that started when Peter Hearne joined BOAC Operations Development Unit from Cranfield in 1949.”
“However the gliding bug in him was not dead, but only sleeping, and he began trying to set up a ‘Speedbird Gliding Club’.”
http://www.bookergliding.co.uk/history.html

Yes I realise that – but Christchurch had 89GS operating from 1944 onwards and I wonder if there may have been an informal ” arrangement ” of some kind.

Even without that , presumably the BOAC club was formed with a view to getting active as soon as possible – so what did they actually do? Did they ever get to fly anything from Christchurch – if so what? And what became of the club?

There was no postwar civilian gliding in Britain until January 1946. The Airways Aero Club at Hurn had a gliding section which was active from 1 Sept 1949, flying a Slingsby Kite II.