Gliding Gossip

Gliding Gossip and News

AIDED by the favourable weather conditions, the London Gliding Club has made a great deal of progress during the past month, and besides maintaining a steady series of week-end instructional sessions, the club has been going ahead in regard to membership, the figures of which are now well past the one hundred mark. Prospective members should note that the address of the club is 44a, Dover Street, London, W.1., to which all enquiries should be sent. Amongst other fixtures which the Club has held, one of the most interesting was a lantern lecture held in the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Library on Monday, the 7th of July, when Herr Kronfeld addressed a large gathering of L.G.C. members. It is hoped that a number of similar lectures will be arranged for in the near future.

Another interesting development is the purchase of a 2-seater sailplane. This machine is naturally a big attraction, as the lesser-experienced members of the Club are now able to experience soaring (as passengers).

THE British Gliding Association has announced that arrangements have now been made for a party to journey to Germany to witness the Rhon Competition, which is to take place between the 9th and 24th of this month. The inclusive cost of the tour will be about E16, and members of the Association and affiliated clubs who wish to avail themselves of this chance to witness this very interesting event should apply at once to the Association. ON Tuesday, the 15th of July a special demonstration of gliding was given by the B.G.A. and the London Gliding Club before H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, who flew over to Ivinghoe in an Avro “Avian.” He was later joined by H.R.H. Prince George and Lord

Louis Mountbatten. Sir Sefton Brancker, Colonel the Master of Sempill and Mr. Gordon England were also present.

Herr Kronfeld and Mr. Latimer Needham made a number of successful flights over the Beacon and thg Royal visitors showed the greatest interest in the proceedings.

ONE of the youngest and most go-ahead clubs is the Scarborough Gliding Club. Although only formed a few weeks ago, it has a large membership and instructional work on the primary type of glider is now being maintained every week-end. Early last month the Club, by arrangement with the B.G.A., held a meeting at which both Herr Kronfeld and Herr Magersuppe gave demonstration flights on the ” Wien ” and” Professor.” The flights were made from Castle Hill, facing the sea and although weather conditions were not too favourable a number of” flips “were made by the two experts. Unfortunately there was some treacherous currents lurking about, and Magersuppe was compelled to put his machine down in the surf, as a result of getting in a violent down draught. Great public interest was taken in the meeting, the crowds numbering several thousands.

THE Sailplane Club of the T.M.A.C., whose address is 404, King’s Road, Chelsea, London, S.W., has now secured a suitable site for its operations. This is situated at Smalldole, Sussex, a few miles from Brighton. From an inspection, one would say that it is very nearly ideal for the purpose ; it lies some 750 feet above sealevel, is horseshoe-shaped and faces the prevailing winds. The Club has recently taken delivery of an R.F.D. elementary-training glider. AT a recent meeting of the Nottingham Gliding Club,

it was decided that a reduction should be made in the subscription rates for pilot and associate members, so that the new figures are now E2 2s. and 10s. 6d. respectively. The Club still has room for more members, and anyone interested is requested to write to Mr. L. Burbridge, Honorary Secretary, at the Welbeck Hotel, Nottingham. YET another Club is in process of formation at the present time. This is to be known as the Middlesex Gliding Club and Mr. D. Ussher who has its organisation in hand, states that one of the principal ideas will be to arrange for gliding facilities for its members in the evenings. Those interested should write to Mr. Ussher, • whose address is :-36, Framfield Road, Highbury, N.5

SAILPLANING and gliding is now being taken up in South Africa, both the Johannesburg Light Plane Club and the Germiston Club having established sections for motorless planes. These two Clubs are building their own machines, but several R.F.D. gliders have been shipped to the Union recently to the order of private owners.

MR. Russell Taylor informs us that the scheme for the promotion of the “British School of Gliding,” upon which he has been engaged for some time, has been postponed indefinitely, and that the subscriptions received in connection with it have therefore been returned.