Like so many others I did my very first solo in one of these at West Malling in about 1979. It was painted grey and flight lasted about 4 minutes. 16,000 hours of fighter and airline flying later I’m so pleased to have stumbled across this video. Thank you, it’s made my day…….
Brilliant. Reminds me of my teens in the early 70s when I flew these amazing machines at RAF Locking (Weston Super Mare) or Hullavington. Loved every minute of it but was winch launch. Lucky if we made 5-7 mins of flight time. Thanks for posting this....
Great video. Another aging air cadet here. I soloed at Debden c.1972. I flew in the Sedburgh once but did the rest of the course, including solos in the T31. 👍
As an Air Cadet gliding instructor in the early 70's I did 1549 flights (and thankfully the exact same number of landings) in T31s, all winch launches. Average flight time........ just 3 min 4.6 secs.
Thank you very much for sharing this. I did my ATC Gliding Proficiency at 618 VGS West Malling. I made a number of flights in WT902 including my three solo's. Great memories from 1975.
Hi, I attended 618 VGS West Malling in 1973 - I was with 1198 Deptford Squadron. Remember the walk from West Malling station and sleeping in an abandoned building, seriously roughing it weekend after weekend to get our 'G Wings'. RAF West Malling is now a housing estate now but the control tower was still there. Yes, good memories.
There’s nothing better than flying out in the open air the view the feeling so much more than being locked up behind glass in a plane hard to explain just amazing !
Sigh, my one and only glider solo was in her sister ship WT901, in 1979, at CGS RAF Upavon. Cable launched to 800ft AGL, back on the ground 4 minutes later!
Great Video of my favourite aircraft in the world! The Tiger Moth of The Gliding World...Reading comments below it has brought equal pleasure to many - my solos were at RAF Henlow 1970 but I had some under age training from several ex wartime glider pilots (including my Dad!) prior to that at Haddenhmam Airfield with The Upward Bound Trust during the 1960's. I thoroughly enjoyed your video, Thank You, Mark Freeman.
As a former Air Cadet instructor with over 2k launches in the T31 MK3, you have done a very good job on the resto, but you have transposed the alt and asi
I also flew in these gliders from with 611 VGS at RAF Swanton Morley in late 60's an di my gliding proficiency in the one that is my profile pic and is now a museum piece at Duxford The Mk3 reg was XN239
Happy days at 611 VGS with Sqn Ldr Ron Page at the helm. I was a staff cadet and flew the T31 many times often with Ron on a check ride shouting commands to the launch point from the rear cockpit at 400’
@@richardroth3700 I have a LONG list of things to do in the UK. The damned pandemic got in the way of the trip I had planned. So expect to see me this year. I have all kinds of cold war related tours to see around the UK. Old RAF/USAF bases, British nuclear command bunkers, The Tank Museum, etc. Also I want to visit a UK glider club.
Like so many others I did my very first solo in one of these at West Malling in about 1979. It was painted grey and flight lasted about 4 minutes. 16,000 hours of fighter and airline flying later I’m so pleased to have stumbled across this video. Thank you, it’s made my day…….
As an Air Cadet in 1964 I did a gliding course at RAF Swanton Morley flying both the Sedbergh and the Kirby Cadet Mk 3 (T31). Such happy memories.
oh to be flying one again , life never turns out how you imagined
Brilliant. Reminds me of my teens in the early 70s when I flew these amazing machines at RAF Locking (Weston Super Mare) or Hullavington. Loved every minute of it but was winch launch. Lucky if we made 5-7 mins of flight time. Thanks for posting this....
geoff bell
Those old barrage balloon winches gave you just enough height for a circuit.
621 VGS, ah the memories
Great video. Another aging air cadet here. I soloed at Debden c.1972. I flew in the Sedburgh once but did the rest of the course, including solos in the T31. 👍
As an Air Cadet gliding instructor in the early 70's I did 1549 flights (and thankfully the exact same number of landings) in T31s, all winch launches. Average flight time........ just 3 min 4.6 secs.
I soloed in a T31 as an Air Cadet at RAF Debden in July 1974.
I did the same at Old Sarum same year, biggest regret not continuing with gliding as I went into the Junior Leaders then the AAC.
Thank you very much for sharing this. I did my ATC Gliding Proficiency at 618 VGS West Malling. I made a number of flights in WT902 including my three solo's. Great memories from 1975.
Hi, I attended 618 VGS West Malling in 1973 - I was with 1198 Deptford Squadron. Remember the walk from West Malling station and sleeping in an abandoned building, seriously roughing it weekend after weekend to get our 'G Wings'. RAF West Malling is now a housing estate now but the control tower was still there. Yes, good memories.
First solo also at 618 1977. 2464 Storrington ATC.
There’s nothing better than flying out in the open air the view the feeling so much more than being locked up behind glass in a plane hard to explain just amazing !
Sigh, my one and only glider solo was in her sister ship WT901, in 1979, at CGS RAF Upavon. Cable launched to 800ft AGL, back on the ground 4 minutes later!
Great Video of my favourite aircraft in the world! The Tiger Moth of The Gliding World...Reading comments below it has brought equal pleasure to many - my solos were at RAF Henlow 1970 but I had some under age training from several ex wartime glider pilots (including my Dad!) prior to that at Haddenhmam Airfield with The Upward Bound Trust during the 1960's. I thoroughly enjoyed your video, Thank You, Mark Freeman.
Oh my god. My first solo was in one of these at RAF Kirton Lindsey!!! Sure is nostalgic.
First solo RAF Gaydon 1976,sweet gliding days
My first solo flight T31 1972 RAF Swanton Morley
As a former Air Cadet instructor with over 2k launches in the T31 MK3, you have done a very good job on the resto, but you have transposed the alt and asi
I also flew in these gliders from with 611 VGS at RAF Swanton Morley in late 60's an di my gliding proficiency in the one that is my profile pic and is now a museum piece at Duxford The Mk3 reg was XN239
Happy days at 611 VGS with Sqn Ldr Ron Page at the helm. I was a staff cadet and flew the T31 many times often with Ron on a check ride shouting commands to the launch point from the rear cockpit at 400’
First solo RAF West Malling 1977.
That glider off to your left? That was me in a PW-5. Miss you guys.
Miss you too, Andrew. You need to visit us in the soggy UK.
@@richardroth3700 I have a LONG list of things to do in the UK. The damned pandemic got in the way of the trip I had planned. So expect to see me this year. I have all kinds of cold war related tours to see around the UK. Old RAF/USAF bases, British nuclear command bunkers, The Tank Museum, etc. Also I want to visit a UK glider club.
Nice video guys. :-)
Excellent.