BRITISH SOARING YEARBOOK 1986-87.pdf - Lakes Gliding Club

THE VINTAGE GLIDER CLUB
by Chris Wills
The Vintage Glider Club was formed in 1973 with the object of preserving pre-1945
designs, not as static museum pieces but restored to airworthy condition to be seen in
the air where we feel they belong.
Since 1973 we have held 13 International Rallies in Britain, Germany, France,
Holland, Switzerland and Hungary, with countless smaller rallies. Everywhere we have
been, we have generated enthusiasm for restoring and flying old gliders. We have been
to the dusty plains of central Europe and to the eternal snows of the highest mountains;
in 1985 some of our members were launched from the 11,300ft Jungfraujoch in
Switzerland in memory of an international contest held there 50 years previously.
Our members have continued to restore more vintage gliders, and have also built
replicas of types which no longer exist, or which for some reason have not been
released by their owners for restoration. We have situations where second prototypes
fly 45-50 years after the first, such as the King Kite built in 3 years by David Jones in his
Coventry living room, and a replica of the wartime Gull 3 scheduled to fly in 1986. I've
flown the King Kite, and would say that if the original had been as good as the second
prototype, British gliders would have been the best in the world in 1936.
Even older, a replica 1931 Falcon 1 (the first of Fred Slingsby's designs) is expected
to fly in 1986. Many more vintage gliders in Britain are scheduled to be restored in the
years to come, and a great number of the T21 's and T31 's made redundant by the Air
Cadets are coming into our movement. The Germans are building replicas of the
Habicht and Rhonadler, and restoring further examples of the Minimoa and Goevier,
whilst the Dutch are working on a Grunau 8 two-seater and the French are restoring
dozens of vintage gliders designed mostly during 1941/42.
We have become a great international family, with 540 members throughout the
world. Co-ordination comes from Chris Wills (President), Robin Traves (Secretary),
Peter Woodcock and Sally Shephard (Sales and Archives), all honorary officers work­
ing in their spare time. A VGS News magazine is put out 4 times a year with news,
photographs, drawings, etc. We like to think that our movement captures something of
the past, and gives people young and old a particular pleasure in this different kind of
flying. Apart from the nostalgia, vintage glider flying can be very cheap compared with
other flying. Our accident rate is not bad - touch wood. There have been only 2 major
accidents in 13 years, and it is hoped that even these gliders will be repaired!
In 1986 our International Rallies will be at Dunstable during the last week of July and
the official 14th International Rally at Lasham during the first week of August. If more
than 50 gliders enter, these will be the largest vintage rallies ever held. Future events
are planned for Germany (1987), France (1988) and Hungary (1989).
C. WILLS
"Wings", The Street,
Ewelme, Oxon OX9 6HQ
Tel: Wallingford (0491) 39245
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