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

Keith, good times I think the thing that always sticks in my memory was towing the gliders up at Tibbenham with father in the front seat of the Tiger was the feel of the glider affecting the handling of the plane on the way up, the release of course was expected.

It always amazed me when you released the tow rope prior to landing how relatively straight it was on the ground, Joe Cunningham was another very talented glider pilot based at Tibbenham as well.

The Scheibe Falke is a new one for me - interesting craft thanks.

Good shot of you going to work in the cockpit.

The Piper Pawnee was the tug of choice when I was gliding .... designed as a crop-sprayer so a good tough workhorse and plenty powerful for the job .... converting to aerotow it was drummed into you that your glider was well capable of overwhelming the tow-plane's elevators and nosing it over if you drifted high. I loved the winch launch though ... really dramatic being snatched off the ground in about 6 feet by a big old lorry-winch .... the angle of climb and the drama was the closest a civvy would get to the feel of a tail-standing climb in a military jet 🙂

Used to drive and operate the winch as well if I wasn't flying ... good fun too ... improved my double-declutching shifts no end!!

K

I remember the Pawnee, Westwick were a large crop dusting company in Norfolk that used Tigers until the Pawnees came along and as you say they filtered their way down to gliding clubs.
They took the tanks out and replaced them with the seat again if memory serves me right, powerful machines.
I can still remember the guys walking round the fields with flags marking out the next spray run for the jockeys.

I’m not a glider pilot, but have had occasional lessons. The very first one was a winch launch, and the cable broke… I think we landed straight ahead, and I had a successful launch a few minutes later! Never been above 2 or 3,000 feet in a glider though.

Jon ..... if the wire breaks low then it's land ahead ..... higher and it's circuit and land .... for me there was a real nervy slot where landing ahead was iffy with the space left and a tight circuit a close run thing (and needing everyone on the ground to have their wits about them to clear the landing zone sharper than they expected 🙂) .... was always glad to be out of that 'ambiguous' height slot 🙂

K

Did my first ever glider flight with a winch launch. Half way up I thought I was going to die. Soon got to love it.good old ATC open cockpit.

It’s frustrating not to remember more clearly, but it was about 40 years ago!

The Chinese said their balloon was carrying atmospheric instrumentation these guys better watch out

I think an S or dog leg was for a medium hight. Also memory failing.

As I am another ex ATC kid I can say Ray you are correct.
Cheers
John