The T21 glider " back to basics" 

We use to build aeromodels with balsa wood. Never even imagined that somebody can even build a winch glider with balsa wood.

Yes I too flew with Glyn before he was CFI. A really great instructor! I got my first bronze leg off the winch in "Percy" or was it "Cirrus" - Kent had 2 T21's in those days. 10 minutes circling in zero sink over a small wood at 601 feet! Landing was mandatory at 600 feet.Still miss it all so much

Geoff Edwards Hi Geoff Thanks for your reply. Yes, I remember Percy and Cirrus. I think Percy was all silver with a red nose? Cirrus had a red fuselage and I think maybe silver wings? I’ve got some photos put away somewhere, will have to dig them out. The other instructor on the 1st gliding course I did at Challock was an elderly chap called Peter Jeeves. He seemed more nervous than me when flying and would only let each student fly the barge for a very short time each flight. Spotted Glyn at an airshow about 10 years ago. Walked up and introduced myself. We had a great chat about the old days down at Challock. As you say, he was a great instructor and also a thoroughly nice bloke. You may know, he still flies today as display leader of The Tiger Club down at Headcorn. Theirs a photo of him on their website. The memories all seem a bit of a dream now but hey, it was half a century ago! Thanks again. Nigel

We in india, have similar memories of 1990. Lots of blessings and love to a fellow senior glider pilot.

Junior Verissimo true

Music was stupid

Me too, I remember tapping the altimeter.

Did my glider pilot training aged 16 with the ATC in 1966 at the same airbase. There were 2 aircraft: side-by-side Sedbergh's and tandem Mark 2s. Three weekends to go solo in the latter, exhilarating. No rousing music, just the feel of the wind in the open cockpit, and the sound of anyone talking on the ground below. The air rushed on take-off and landing but all was still whilst up there at about 1,000 feet, doing a gentle circuit of the airfield.

Likewise lean over and shout 'Downwind to land!' no radio needed! My club (ESGC) at Wormingford has just bought one and I'm looking forward to sailing in her this season

Travelbugse28 Most welcome! I bought my glider from Dunstable a few years back, lovely club with a great atmosphere. Maybe you should pop back for another flight in a glass ship?

Sold to an American collector for a fortune, of course. What do you think?

@@voornaam3191 knowing the Army, stored somewhere never to be seen again

@@atmm89 Dutch government would sell them to the highest bidder. Auction. And donate one to the airforce museum.

@@voornaam3191 yes but I was talking about the Australian Army has ha

@@atmm89 Yep, I forgot, but you mentioned that. Would be great if some vintage soaring club could adopt those planes, and keep them airworthy. Gliding in Australia must be very special.

and now you are in heven right

MBCGRS 🤣

@bill I blame autocorrect.... edited...

Alan Grant thanks Alan!

Are Air Traffic Controller also Pilots ?

@@spaghettimonster6808 Air Training Corp. (RAF Cadets)

@@tonythedwvyer oh haha sorry :D i saw many times atc as air traffic controller on youtube. So you are a pilot ?

@@spaghettimonster6808 I flew gliders a while back & did a goodly number of hours toward PPL but ran out of money. Since then I've been busy with other things. Now I'm okd & my eyes are not good enough.

That is interesting Johnnee. I was in Singapore with the RAF in 60-62. However, I was also in Hong Kong in 71/72, and a group of us gliding types wanted to start a club at Sek kong airbase in the New Territories.. We were offered two gliders by the RAF GSA which were stored in a hanger in Singapore. One ex RAF member, then a pilot flying with Cathay Pacific, went to check them out. He reported back that they had been extensively damaged by some army guys . We never got the gliding club started in HK. Interesting though because one was a T21. It might have been the same one you soloed in which could have been refurbished by enthusiasts. I learned to glide in an open T21 too, in Germany in 1965 and soloed in a Grunau. Gliding became my main sport after that, I couldn't get enough. I must have spent a thousand hours instructing and another thousand competition and solo flying. I had another Singapore connection when gliding at Bicester in 1973. I helped teach the first Singaporean Airforce pilots to glide before they went on power courses at RAF Topcliffe. Most of them went solo before they left us. In S'pore, I lived with my wife and babies at 57 Jalen Chempedak on Sambawang Hills Estate. We loved the Old Singapore, no air conditioning, Just fans and little traffic. We did go air conditioned restaurants now and again for a cool night out. Memories eh! Enough said. Very Best wishes, stay cool Warren warren.fearon@icloud.com

Okay boomer

ce magnifique d'avoir un avion cabriolet merci pour la technologie merci beaucoup vraiment c'est géniale vive la technologie., Carlos Af

buddynguyensg thanks!

Blimey South Africa in a T21! Having been to Bloemfontein and experienced your thermals I can imagine a T21 was a bit of a handful? thanks for comment!

I got my A&B at Kirton in 1965 in a Sedburgh as an Air Cadet. Now flying at Lincolnshire Gliding Club. Off back to Kirton in 2 weeks to do spinning. Hope my 74 year old tummy can take it.

2002 Bawtry sqr

Fenlands club from RAF Marham flew at Swanton Morley during the Falklands recovery ..... towed a Janus with a tiger moth!

Aaah, happy days. I was a staff cadet for a while at 635 gs in the early 70's. I remember one easter when a launching Cadet Mk3 picked up the second cable on it's tail skid and just about got away with it. The winch driver reacted quickly and chopped the cable but with the weight of the dangling cable making the glider a tad tail heavy it was touch and go. The cable got dragged ovet the newly opened and quiet M62, closing it for a brief spell. I believe 635 moved to Salmesbury for a while and then ended up at Topcliffe. Hello to any other 635 wallahs on here, best regards, Gareth

Flew at burtonwood and sealand as an air cadet

yeah I totally agree, fond memories of 481 Sqn ATC

Fenlands had one I flew in 80s timeframe flew with Andy Geough two weeks before his crash at Brize Norton

CBSITCB

Shhhh; Is a secret!😉

I figured it out...They hung a Pulley from the moon

It's a giant bungee cord

The winched cable length to obtainable height at the top of the launch is roughly a 3:1 ratio under ideal conditions ( keeping fingers crossed that you don't get a cable break!!).

I tried to start a glidng club at Tangmere in 1956 or7. The C.O. said No, so that was the end of that.