VGC News/Newsletters - Lakes Gliding Club

participants should not subsidise other members' holidays andthat rallies should be self-sufficient using VGC members ifhelp was required.There was also discussion about the proposed rally in theUSA in 2000. There were lhree points raised: An alternativerally in Europe should be offered and there were plenty ofsmaller rallies if we did not want two "internationals" in thesame year.As we are an international organisation, any country withsufficient members should be able to host a rally and Europeansshould accept this.If sufficient planning was done it should be possible toreduce the cost of transportation by sponsorship, etc. Jan Scollreported that the Swedes had managed to get free shipping fortheir gliders last year and others had sold gliders in the USA.Someone else reported shipping costs for two gliders in thesame container as $2400 return.In general it was felt that if the rally organiser could getsufficient entries from their own country, plus pilots, somewith aircraft from other countries, then the VGC could beasked to support the rally.There was some discussion about what the VGC could dofor members on an international scale, other than ralliesTheChairman expressed the view that VGC News was the mainitem as it brought all news together, and was often the onlyway that members knew what was going on in their country.Hence everyone should send in more news, photos old andnew. and we should look at wider circulation to attract newmembers.We repeat, these are not the official minutes of the meetings.COPY DATESThe last date for articles and photographs to be sentto the Editor for the next issue, which will go out inmid March, will be January 15th. Please note thatanything received after this date willpublication.delayThe VGC has found a home on the internet!It had to come!! Roger Booth, the person behind theproduction of VGC News has put up a page at:hllp://www.pubshop.demon.co.uk/vgc.htmlJohn Brooks and his newly restored Cadet Mk 2, Tuto/; takenat SUlton Bank by Chris Hughe.~.ANNUAL DINNER AND PRIZEGIVINGThe annual dinner was hosted this year by the BuckminsterClub and was held at The Crown Inn at Sproxton on Saturday28th September. The weekend was organised by our member,Neil Scully, and we are very grateful to him for all his hardwork. It was a pity that the very high winds prevented anyvintage flying. at the club's site at Saltby Airfield. It is customaryfor the VGC to award small annual prizes to thosemembers who have restored gliders to a high standard, or whohave carried out good flights during the previous year andthese are always presented at our annual dinner.VGC Performance Awards were awarded to:Jorg ZiIler, the grand winner on the Wave day of 5th July atPavullo when he reached 3600m above site.WiIli Schwarzenbach, our Swiss Vice president, for achieving3,300 metres from Pavullo in his Spalinger S 18-3 on the5th July.Werner Tschorn for achieving 3,150 metres above Pavullo inhis Weihe 50 on the same day.(We would have liked to have given a prize to Uwe Morgellstern,a young German who got to 5000 metres in his Ka6 eRat the same rally but he is not a member and the Ka 6 is notyet vintage.)VGC Restoration Prizes have been awarded to:Richard Moyse, who has finished restoring a Slingsby Cadet.This is immaculate and is without the wheel to remind one ofthe ,first Cadets (which came after the 1936 Kadets). JohnSproule would have been ovel:joyed to know that two of his"C getters" are still airworthy. He designed it by himself whenstill a teenager while Fred Slingsby was ill with 'flu. Until thattime, British "ab initios" had only the German Prueflings andHols del' Teufels to achieve their "Cs" in and they were bothunsuitable.John Brooks, who has also restored a Slingsby Cadet, thisone being the TX Mk2 ie a Tutor. This glider was first seen atthe Bri,tish Rally and John also brought it to Saltby but it wasnot flown at either event. This glider, as befits its militaryorigin, is wonderfully pail1ted in ATC markings,Mike Birch, for the restoration of the Avia 40P which wasfully described in our last issue. This was judged the mostmeritorious restoration of the year and Mike was awarded theVGC Grand Restoration Cup. As Francois Ragot is the newowner of the Avia, and paid for the work, we hope that theywill be able to share the Cup and have it for six months eachbut as it is an annual prize, they have both been presented withWine Decanters, suitably engraved with the VGC logo, forthem to keep.Josef Ott for his magnificent replica of the 1946 HonzaPrimary which we first saw at the Czech Rally.Neelco Osinga for his restoration of the Kranich 2, PH­103.We would also have liked to give a prize to AlIila Ziermannfor his 1958 Super Futa, named Jonathan, af.ter lonathan LivingstonSeagull, but he has not r,enewed his membershiprecently.The Rodi Morgan Plate for the best fJ,jgl1t during ourNational Rally has been awarded to Peter Phllpot for takingthe new Gull 3 (which he helped build) to over 6000ft in waveabove Sutton Bank.The Eel Hall Trophy for the best performance of the year ina vintage glider from Lasham goes to Julian Ben-David andRay Whittaker for their 80km cross country flight in a T3 I3