Sailplane & Gliding 1966 - Lakes Gliding Club

quent flying. Anyway, on one of these
early starts Phil got in his Silver C
duration.
It took him until August 7th, 1939, to
get his Distance, with a 65~mile flight
from Huish to Dunstable. and I don't
think he ever got his height. As Silver
C's were in those days issued by lSTUs.
a German body, I doubt if they would
have got round to it if he had. as other
things intervened.
During the war Phil ended up in the
Glider Pilots' Regiment, a pretty extraordinary
feat since he was far from fit,
which prevented him getting beyond the
early stages. But he remained a fanatical
devotee for the rest of his life, and was
the Secretary of its post-war Association
for many years.
His record as a pilot in sp()rting gliding
does not read very impressively, but
I remember him, as will all old-timers,
because he was enthusiastic and kind
and generous and compietely unse.lfish.
We shall always need people like Phil,
and they will always be rememhero:d with
affection.
P.A.W.
peted at the B.G.A. competitions at
Sutton Bank. On the first day, I noted
Phil had two Bights each lasting one
minute, and I thought this must sh()w
he was still in an early stage of profi·
ciency, until I noticed that my own Bight
that day lasted the same time-we were
indulging in a sp()t-landing competition
from a winch-launch.
In 1936 the Bussard was changed for
a Rhonsperber-of which the rather sad
remains are still in the hangar at Dun­
;table. For during the war, the 'Sperber
got left out in its trailer in the rain, and
never recovered. Phil was the "baby" in
the 'Sperber Syndicate, and his good
nature was so overwhelming that it was
difficult not to take advantage of it. In
the September 1937 issue of SAILPLANE
there is rather a sad little picture of him
beside the glider, muffled up to the nines.
swigging a mug of cocoa. The caption
reads: "R. P. Cooper, who was launched
at 7.24, 6.40, and 6.55 on three consecutive
mornings, is here seen taking
nourishment before one of these early
flights." The wind would then drop,
Phi! would descend, thermals would
start. and his partners shared the subsetCORRESPONDENCE
A NEW LOOK AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP SYSTEM
Dear Sir,
. May I be allowed to express opinions on several rather tenuously related subjects
In the compass of one letter? First of all. has not the time now come for an entir,ely
new look at our competition system? We are bogged down with a rating scheme
which, except for a few "has-heens" like me, makes few glider pilots happy. with the
prospect of a handicapping scheme which appears unlikely to he universally accept·
able, with a scoring system which keeps long-suffering mathematicians up all night,
and with an unnecessarily limited second-hand market for our gliders. Surely fundamental
changes ate called for. I suggest that the B.G.A. should now promote Class
Competitions in Darts, Olympia 465's, Skylark 3'5 (and 4's'!), Ka-6's, and perhaps
ot?ers. Each of these would produce an annual Champion of the Class, al1(\ the plan
mIght lead to international class championships. Not only would this improve the
second-hand value of such gliders, but might enoourage new construction in a popular
class thereby reducing the original price. Clubs without aero-tow facilities would
become the strongholds of the lighter. most easily winch-Iaunchable classes. Class
qU~lifying competitions WQuld probably in due course become necessary on a
regIonal basis. The system is borrowed from yachting, and has been used very
SUccessfully in gliding in the U.5.A.
. There would, of course, continue to be an Open Class so as to stimulate new
de~lgn. hOpen Champion" might still be the most sought-after title. For this compe­
E:0n there would be only one League (because most of the reasons for establishing
ague 2 no longer now apply). In both Open and Class Championships (which
393