Glider achievement

Sir,

My father, Alan Yates, shares a glider with Geoffrey Stephenson, they both fly regularly at Dunstable.

Geoffrey was the first person to soar across the Channel as opposed to gliding after an aerotow to the required height of about 10,000′. Geoffrey left Dunstable using initially hill lift, then thermals, eventually reaching 8,000′ near Dover then, in a straight glide, managed to land in France.

You may be interested to know that the most recent cross channel glider flight was by Justin Wills, Philip Wills son. Justin flew from Exeter into Germany some 350 miles!

Philip Wills was the first British World Gliding Champion, winning in Spain in 1952. Of course you are lucky now in having George Lee who has won the last three Open Class World Gliding Championships. That is an almost unbelievable achievement.

Please keep up the good work with your superb magazine.

Melrose, Mass.
Graham Yates