Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Gliding To 70,000ft

At Grammar School in the early 1960's I was envious of the young lads in the CCF (Combined Cadet Force), some of whom got to do short low "hops" in the ancient Slingsby Grasshopper primary trainer (archive photo) on our school playing field, towed behind a Land Rover. In 1968 I did a basic glider training course at Lasham on a Slingsby T49 Capstan with a group of other lads (me 2nd left), but never progressed beyond that. Unlike my late Dad -- who as part of his pilot training in WWII learned to fly the huge Airspeed Horsa gliders (third pic, from archives) as used in the "A Bridge Too Far" Arnhem landings. But before that operation in September 1944, he was redeployed to Burma and for the rest of the War flew missions in Dakota's, evacuating wounded and dropping supplies. Throughout, he wore the battledress jacket that I'm wearing in the second pic.