It’s great to see some of these old girls still flying. My husband learn to fly on these and ended up continuing on to become an airline captain so he loves them. I have to see if I can’t get him a flight in one
Completed my a certificate in one of these and in a Sedbergh Cadet! RAF Swanton Morley, Norfolk, amazing to think back to those days, allowing a 15year old to fly solo in one of those. What an experience! Travelling up from South Devon by train with an RAF warrant for the ticket, travelling across London then on to Diss, where we were met by a gnarly old Warrant Officer and a mini bus. Brilliant experience, never to be forgotten, have loved flying ever since. Thank you ATC.
I flew in these many times as an air cadet in the 60s-70s. Loops, stall turns etc. The most amazing memory I have is the immediate rocket-like takeoff and steep climb from the winched launch, which is clearly shown here.
I learnt to fly in a T21 at RAF Bicester in 1967. FSgt Andy Gough was CFI what an inspiration. He took me up in a Blanik and did some aerobatics, sensational. The old T 21 used to creak and groan and almost flap their wings to get airborne 😂
As an indian NCC cadet, I have done over 2000 launches in such very basic winch glider, which on a very routine launch give a meager altitude of just 1000 feet. In summer, some times, we were lucky to catch thermals and attain higher altitudes. Mine record was 18000 feet high. Missing those days.
Love it. I did my solo on one back in the early 80’s. Did by B certificate (15 mins) on one too. Even years later, whilst flying single seat glass ships I loved to take the 21 up for a nice evening float round
I flew in one of these as an ATC cadet as a teanager. We actually did a double loop and were hanging upside down on the seatbelts on the second loop. Thrill of a lifetime.
Excellent! Takes me right back to my dear father building a balsa model of one with me when I was a small boy. We flew it a lot! I always dreamed what it would be like to see it from the cockpit......well, now I know. Many thanks.
WOW takes me back to my days in the ATC . 153 squadron Slough. We used to go to White Waltham. To fly. Boy that's a long time ago. But such a vivid memory you have brought back.
This Glider was called the Sedburg. Wonderful! - Takes me back to my ATC days in the early 1960's (37F city of Bristol squadron) and gliding at RAF Locking and at Halesland in the Mendips.
Happy memories... as an ATC cadet, I flew one of these on a weeks gliding course at RAF Henlow..I even remember my instructors name...Jim Morrow. Great video..thanks!
As someone who sees flying as an amazing feat... I found this video awesome. Something about flying. Like a bird off in the the air gliding diving climbing seeing everything below... Awesome
Wow, that brings back memories! 50 years ago at a gliding club near Oxford, motor tow to 1K feet, pull the toggle to release the cable and tap the altimeter for a few extra feet!
Flew in the T21 between 1966 and 69 with the Air Cadets at RAF Debden and Swanson Morley. Also flew at the Kent Gliding Club at about the same time. Was up in a 21 with the CFI Glyn Richards. During a turn I let the speed drop away. The inner wing dropped and we went down like a bucket of cement in a spin. He didn’t grab the controls, just sat their with his arms folded and said ‘I didn’t know we were doing aerobatics this flight’ He then calmly talked me through the spin recovery. Incidentally, as their was no canopy, the T21 also made a very good camera platform. Great days!!
Yes I too flew with Glyn before he was CFI. A really great instructor! I got my first bronze leg off the winch in "Percy" or was it "Cirrus" - Kent had 2 T21's in those days. 10 minutes circling in zero sink over a small wood at 601 feet! Landing was mandatory at 600 feet.Still miss it all so much
Geoff Edwards Hi Geoff Thanks for your reply. Yes, I remember Percy and Cirrus. I think Percy was all silver with a red nose? Cirrus had a red fuselage and I think maybe silver wings? I’ve got some photos put away somewhere, will have to dig them out. The other instructor on the 1st gliding course I did at Challock was an elderly chap called Peter Jeeves. He seemed more nervous than me when flying and would only let each student fly the barge for a very short time each flight. Spotted Glyn at an airshow about 10 years ago. Walked up and introduced myself. We had a great chat about the old days down at Challock. As you say, he was a great instructor and also a thoroughly nice bloke. You may know, he still flies today as display leader of The Tiger Club down at Headcorn. Theirs a photo of him on their website. The memories all seem a bit of a dream now but hey, it was half a century ago! Thanks again. Nigel
Memories of summer weekends in 1957 at RAF Kenley when a cadet with ATC Sqn 1034 (Surbiton). What a thrill for a 16 y.o. kid! The T21 was our introduction to flight; vivid memories of stall recovery procedure, etc.
Did my glider pilot training aged 16 with the ATC in 1966 at the same airbase. There were 2 aircraft: side-by-side Sedbergh's and tandem Mark 2s. Three weekends to go solo in the latter, exhilarating. No rousing music, just the feel of the wind in the open cockpit, and the sound of anyone talking on the ground below. The air rushed on take-off and landing but all was still whilst up there at about 1,000 feet, doing a gentle circuit of the airfield.
I remember being a passenger in a barge, whilst an instructor knocked over a tall beer can with the wing tip, followed by a chandelle, and a landing. Happy memories of being a staff cadet at good old 6** GS ATC.
Likewise lean over and shout 'Downwind to land!' no radio needed! My club (ESGC) at Wormingford has just bought one and I'm looking forward to sailing in her this season
I think that without the music, it would give the real feeling of flying without engines, without noises just the tranquility that the glide can offer. Hello from Brazil :)
This is Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery. My village. In a word, sturdy. It's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new. We've got hunting, fishing, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the pests. Most places have mice or mosquitoes. We have... dragons.
we used to fly these in Singapore in the early 70's, I was a member of the Australian army gliding club. we were winch towed and our flight use to last 10 - 15 minutes and a ton of fun, every one took turn at working the winch and also flying, some great memory's there. I wonder what ever happened to that plane and equipment.
@@atmm89 Yep, I forgot, but you mentioned that. Would be great if some vintage soaring club could adopt those planes, and keep them airworthy. Gliding in Australia must be very special.
Wow. Serched for a T 21 after having been up in one. Only to find. Same machine, pilot snd airfield! Still processing the experience 😅. What an honour 😁😁
Many thanks. Gave me happy memories of the London Gliding Club at Dunstable in the late 60s. Ye gods, that was half a century ago! The one I was given instruction on was in a lot worse shape than WJ306 - it looks superb.
Travelbugse28 Most welcome! I bought my glider from Dunstable a few years back, lovely club with a great atmosphere. Maybe you should pop back for another flight in a glass ship?
Learnt to fly in these at RAF Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, in the 60's while in the Dover College CCF. Great to learn stick and rudder coordination! At the end of the week did solos in a Kirby Cadet. For the second week of the hols was at RAF Binbrook. What a fantastic Easter!
I got my A&B at Kirton in 1965 in a Sedburgh as an Air Cadet. Now flying at Lincolnshire Gliding Club. Off back to Kirton in 2 weeks to do spinning. Hope my 74 year old tummy can take it.
This is Berk, it rains 9 months of the year and hails the other 3, any food that grows here are tough and tasteless. The people who grow here are even more so. The only up-sides, are the pets, while other places have ponies or parrots. We have.... Gliders! ; ) So nice to see this grand lady has been so well maintained
I flew in T21s at RAF Debden as an ATC Cadet and with the Essex Gliding Club at North Weald, in the 1970's. They had a closed cockpit version. Loved flying in that thing. :)
@@MutterdesHerrnBarakas I flew gliders a while back & did a goodly number of hours toward PPL but ran out of money. Since then I've been busy with other things. Now I'm okd & my eyes are not good enough.
Looks like a sedbergh! We flew those and kirby cadet in the ATC early70s. We had to get to Gaydon from Coventry on a Sunday morning! 2438 Ullathorne sqdn
It is the same childlike feeling that you would throw a kite into the air..And you could feel the aerodynamics of air and space in childhood....Of course, I was flying with my Concorde Supersonic and it was a great experience;));))
Like other here... memories of ATC days. Flew at RAF Burtonwood. Interesting place that. Half US Army supply depot and the rest an RAF gliding establishment (and bus museum!). The old main runway is a section of the M62 so we used the old crumbling cross runway. Nothing like a busy motorway and high tension powerlines on the upwind direction to prey on your mind for landings!
Aaah, happy days. I was a staff cadet for a while at 635 gs in the early 70's. I remember one easter when a launching Cadet Mk3 picked up the second cable on it's tail skid and just about got away with it. The winch driver reacted quickly and chopped the cable but with the weight of the dangling cable making the glider a tad tail heavy it was touch and go. The cable got dragged ovet the newly opened and quiet M62, closing it for a brief spell. I believe 635 moved to Salmesbury for a while and then ended up at Topcliffe. Hello to any other 635 wallahs on here, best regards, Gareth
I trained on these to abc certificate standard aged 16 in the ATC at RAF Swanton Morley in Norfolk and RAF Chivenor in Devon winch launched absolutely amazing feeling went solo after 15 flights. Wow
I had a decommissioned Kirby Cadet I my English front garden when I was a kid. During the time o Spitfires, Hurricanes, ME109s and doodlebugs. Got me interested in Hangliders, Ultralights and and later licenced on Cessna 172. Life’s funny
Didn't we call these "Sedburghs"? Did the basic and advanced at West Malling. Superb training. Thank you to all the people I never thanked. Can still remember the checks.
Blimey South Africa in a T21! Having been to Bloemfontein and experienced your thermals I can imagine a T21 was a bit of a handful? thanks for comment!
As one T21 owner told me many years ago.....'it flies so slowly the bugs never stick to the leading edge, they just break there legs and stagger off the trailing edge' ! Is Keith Mitchell still going at Southdown ? He used to be my dentist, open wide this won't hurt.....
That is interesting Johnnee. I was in Singapore with the RAF in 60-62. However, I was also in Hong Kong in 71/72, and a group of us gliding types wanted to start a club at Sek kong airbase in the New Territories.. We were offered two gliders by the RAF GSA which were stored in a hanger in Singapore. One ex RAF member, then a pilot flying with Cathay Pacific, went to check them out. He reported back that they had been extensively damaged by some army guys . We never got the gliding club started in HK. Interesting though because one was a T21. It might have been the same one you soloed in which could have been refurbished by enthusiasts. I learned to glide in an open T21 too, in Germany in 1965 and soloed in a Grunau. Gliding became my main sport after that, I couldn't get enough. I must have spent a thousand hours instructing and another thousand competition and solo flying. I had another Singapore connection when gliding at Bicester in 1973. I helped teach the first Singaporean Airforce pilots to glide before they went on power courses at RAF Topcliffe. Most of them went solo before they left us. In S'pore, I lived with my wife and babies at 57 Jalen Chempedak on Sambawang Hills Estate. We loved the Old Singapore, no air conditioning, Just fans and little traffic. We did go air conditioned restaurants now and again for a cool night out. Memories eh! Enough said. Very Best wishes, stay cool Warren warren.fearon@icloud.com
Catterick 1977 we had these and the T31 Mark 3s that we all solo-ed in. I nearly flew one headfirst into the old Buccaneer that was parked on the far side of the airfield because I got my landing wrong, but pulling airbrakes at 20 feet slammed it down and a load of rudder steered it to stop just to the side of it. I got away with it and decided to be an accountant instead.
The winched cable length to obtainable height at the top of the launch is roughly a 3:1 ratio under ideal conditions ( keeping fingers crossed that you don't get a cable break!!).
Nah,the music suits this little video......uplifting, just like a flight in the 'Sedburg' was. Spent many happy moments flying and doing aerobatics in these lovely old gliders.
This glider looks very british. Oh wait, it is very british! 😃 The open cockpit looks like real fun. The only time i flew with open cockpit was maybe ten years ago in an Ka6. It was realy nice.
Pitot tube - measures the airspeed. They only had an ASI, altimeter, turn and slip indicator and climb and descent indicator, as far as I can remember (it's nearly forty years since I've flown in one).
I guess they still fly. Why not? There are many oldtimer meetings, and even here in the Netherlands quite some T21's are airworthy. If you do gliding, it's a good idea joining a group of owners, or a club, flying T21's. Those oldtimer meetings are good fun, helping the maintenance is nice, so why not? Go gliding yourself and find that T21 in your area.
@@voornaam3191 The trust is a charity, dedicated to getting youngsters into flying. It's decades since I was there, and the village was always growing towards the airfield...
@@keithattwood59 Those activities are great fun, many airfields still do such a day each year. But I don't know that airfield. And yeah, living next to an airfield is not everyone's childhood dream...
@@voornaam3191 It seems that airfield was closed last year for housing development. It originally was used in WW2. The trust used a winch when I was there. The only others flying from there, were horse racing jockeys with their private light aircraft to get to various meets. Back then, one of the instructors was a veteran who flew the Horsa....
@@keithattwood59 Thanks. Then it's history, now. That jockey connection is fun. Wouldn't see that very often in the Netherlands or even Germany. At least you have flewn there, once. And the Horsa prevented the Norwegian heavy water getting into a German atomic bomb. Just checked wiki. Wow. Thank you
It’s great to see some of these old girls still flying. My husband learn to fly on these and ended up continuing on to become an airline captain so he loves them. I have to see if I can’t get him a flight in one
Completed my a certificate in one of these and in a Sedbergh Cadet! RAF Swanton Morley, Norfolk, amazing to think back to those days, allowing a 15year old to fly solo in one of those. What an experience! Travelling up from South Devon by train with an RAF warrant for the ticket, travelling across London then on to Diss, where we were met by a gnarly old Warrant Officer and a mini bus. Brilliant experience, never to be forgotten, have loved flying ever since. Thank you ATC.
I flew in these many times as an air cadet in the 60s-70s. Loops, stall turns etc. The most amazing memory I have is the immediate rocket-like takeoff and steep climb from the winched launch, which is clearly shown here.
I learnt to fly in a T21 at RAF Bicester in 1967. FSgt Andy Gough was CFI what an inspiration. He took me up in a Blanik and did some aerobatics, sensational.
The old T 21 used to creak and groan and almost flap their wings to get airborne 😂
As an indian NCC cadet, I have done over 2000 launches in such very basic winch glider, which on a very routine launch give a meager altitude of just 1000 feet. In summer, some times, we were lucky to catch thermals and attain higher altitudes. Mine record was 18000 feet high. Missing those days.
Learned to fly in those and Sedburghs with Air Cadets 60yrs ago and am still flying, marvellous start for any young man then.
Just look at all the memories from the Air Cadets in the 60’s.
I was one of them, West Lancs wing.
Love it. I did my solo on one back in the early 80’s. Did by B certificate (15 mins) on one too. Even years later, whilst flying single seat glass ships I loved to take the 21 up for a nice evening float round
I flew in one of these as an ATC cadet as a teanager. We actually did a double loop and were hanging upside down on the seatbelts on the second loop. Thrill of a lifetime.
Excellent! Takes me right back to my dear father building a balsa model of one with me when I was a small boy. We flew it a lot! I always dreamed what it would be like to see it from the cockpit......well, now I know. Many thanks.
We use to build aeromodels with balsa wood. Never even imagined that somebody can even build a winch glider with balsa wood.
Thanks for sharing! A ride in an open air cockpit with just the sound of the wind passing by must be amazing!
WOW takes me back to my days in the ATC . 153 squadron Slough. We used to go to White Waltham. To fly. Boy that's a long time ago. But such a vivid memory you have brought back.
This Glider was called the Sedburg. Wonderful! - Takes me back to my ATC days in the early 1960's (37F city of Bristol squadron) and gliding at RAF Locking and at Halesland in the Mendips.
Happy memories... as an ATC cadet, I flew one of these on a weeks gliding course at RAF Henlow..I even remember my instructors name...Jim Morrow.
Great video..thanks!
As someone who sees flying as an amazing feat... I found this video awesome. Something about flying. Like a bird off in the the air gliding diving climbing seeing everything below...
Awesome
Wow, that brings back memories! 50 years ago at a gliding club near Oxford, motor tow to 1K feet, pull the toggle to release the cable and tap the altimeter for a few extra feet!
We in india, have similar memories of 1990. Lots of blessings and love to a fellow senior glider pilot.
Flew in the T21 between 1966 and 69 with the Air Cadets at RAF Debden
and Swanson Morley. Also flew at the Kent Gliding Club at about the same time.
Was up in a 21 with the CFI Glyn Richards. During a turn I let the speed drop away.
The inner wing dropped and we went down like a bucket of cement in a spin.
He didn’t grab the controls, just sat their with his arms folded and said ‘I didn’t know
we were doing aerobatics this flight’ He then calmly talked me through the spin recovery.
Incidentally, as their was no canopy, the T21 also made a very good camera platform.
Great days!!
Yes I too flew with Glyn before he was CFI. A really great instructor! I got my first bronze leg off the winch in "Percy" or was it "Cirrus" - Kent had 2 T21's in those days. 10 minutes circling in zero sink over a small wood at 601 feet! Landing was mandatory at 600 feet.Still miss it all so much
Geoff Edwards
Hi Geoff
Thanks for your reply.
Yes, I remember Percy and Cirrus. I think Percy was all silver with a red nose?
Cirrus had a red fuselage and I think maybe silver wings?
I’ve got some photos put away somewhere, will have to dig them out.
The other instructor on the 1st gliding course I did at Challock was an elderly chap
called Peter Jeeves. He seemed more nervous than me when flying and would only
let each student fly the barge for a very short time each flight.
Spotted Glyn at an airshow about 10 years ago. Walked up and introduced myself. We had a great chat
about the old days down at Challock. As you say, he was a great instructor and also a thoroughly nice bloke.
You may know, he still flies today as display leader of The Tiger Club down at Headcorn.
Theirs a photo of him on their website.
The memories all seem a bit of a dream now but hey, it was half a century ago!
Thanks again.
Nigel
Memories of summer weekends in 1957 at RAF Kenley when a cadet with ATC Sqn 1034 (Surbiton).
What a thrill for a 16 y.o. kid! The T21 was our introduction to flight; vivid memories of stall recovery procedure, etc.
Wonderful. I absolutely loved winch/tow launches, such a rush. Puts me in mind of flying a Kookaburra glider here in Oz, back when I was young.
Brings back memories of flying "the Barge" at Catterick. Love the tapping of the altimeter.
Me too, I remember tapping the altimeter.
Did my glider pilot training aged 16 with the ATC in 1966 at the same airbase. There were 2 aircraft: side-by-side Sedbergh's and tandem Mark 2s. Three weekends to go solo in the latter, exhilarating. No rousing music, just the feel of the wind in the open cockpit, and the sound of anyone talking on the ground below. The air rushed on take-off and landing but all was still whilst up there at about 1,000 feet, doing a gentle circuit of the airfield.
I remember being a passenger in a barge, whilst an instructor knocked over a tall beer can with the wing tip, followed by a chandelle, and a landing. Happy memories of being a staff cadet at good old 6** GS ATC.
What a wonderful video. I would live to fly in that glider some day!
I flew one of those several years ago. It was a nice change from flying high performance gliders. You could hear people on the ground talking.
Likewise lean over and shout 'Downwind to land!' no radio needed! My club (ESGC) at Wormingford has just bought one and I'm looking forward to sailing in her this season
I think that without the music, it would give the real feeling of flying without engines, without noises just the tranquility that the glide can offer.
Hello from Brazil :)
Junior Verissimo true
Music was stupid
Great video. Great stabilising camera-setup. At 1:43 you can see light shining through between the wing and the wing-mount.
Alan Grant thanks Alan!
This is Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery. My village. In a word, sturdy. It's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new. We've got hunting, fishing, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the pests. Most places have mice or mosquitoes. We have... dragons.
we used to fly these in Singapore in the early 70's, I was a member of the Australian army gliding club. we were winch towed and our flight use to last 10 - 15 minutes and a ton of fun, every one took turn at working the winch and also flying, some great memory's there. I wonder what ever happened to that plane and equipment.
Sold to an American collector for a fortune, of course. What do you think?
@@voornaam3191 knowing the Army, stored somewhere never to be seen again
@@atmm89 Dutch government would sell them to the highest bidder. Auction. And donate one to the airforce museum.
@@voornaam3191 yes but I was talking about the Australian Army has ha
@@atmm89 Yep, I forgot, but you mentioned that. Would be great if some vintage soaring club could adopt those planes, and keep them airworthy. Gliding in Australia must be very special.
Wow. Serched for a T 21 after having been up in one. Only to find. Same machine, pilot snd airfield! Still processing the experience 😅. What an honour 😁😁
Wow! Very nice old skool flying..thanks for sharing.👍
Many thanks. Gave me happy memories of the London Gliding Club at Dunstable in the late 60s. Ye gods, that was half a century ago! The one I was given instruction on was in a lot worse shape than WJ306 - it looks superb.
Travelbugse28 Most welcome! I bought my glider from Dunstable a few years back, lovely club with a great atmosphere. Maybe you should pop back for another flight in a glass ship?
That really looks like fun! Side by side and open cockpit!
Fond memories of the T21 as an Air Cadet in the late 60's. Stately progress was made.
Trent Valley GC had a T21, learnt to fly on this amazing glider. Soars so well for a heavy sailplane.
Soloed there in1965
Learnt to fly in these at RAF Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, in the 60's
while in the Dover College CCF. Great to learn stick and rudder coordination! At the end of the week did solos in a Kirby Cadet. For the second week of the hols was at RAF Binbrook. What a fantastic Easter!
I got my A&B at Kirton in 1965 in a Sedburgh as an Air Cadet. Now flying at Lincolnshire Gliding Club. Off back to Kirton in 2 weeks to do spinning. Hope my 74 year old tummy can take it.
2002 Bawtry sqr
Great memories of ATC, flew for first time in 1969, Sedburgh at RAF Gaydon
This is Berk, it rains 9 months of the year and hails the other 3, any food that grows here are tough and tasteless. The people who grow here are even more so. The only up-sides, are the pets, while other places have ponies or parrots. We have.... Gliders! ; )
So nice to see this grand lady has been so well maintained
I flew in T21s at RAF Debden as an ATC Cadet and with the Essex Gliding Club at North Weald, in the 1970's. They had a closed cockpit version. Loved flying in that thing. :)
Are Air Traffic Controller also Pilots ?
@@MutterdesHerrnBarakas Air Training Corp. (RAF Cadets)
@@tonythedwvyer oh haha sorry :D i saw many times atc as air traffic controller on youtube. So you are a pilot ?
@@MutterdesHerrnBarakas I flew gliders a while back & did a goodly number of hours toward PPL but ran out of money. Since then I've been busy with other things. Now I'm okd & my eyes are not good enough.
Used to fly a T31, which was a tandem seat version of this machine, always felt like you were sitting in a bathtub 3000 feet up!
I flew in one of these when in the Gillingham Air Cadets. I flew my first solo at RAF manston at the age of 16, in a Kirby Cadet Glider.
Looks like a sedbergh! We flew those and kirby cadet in the ATC early70s. We had to get to Gaydon from Coventry on a Sunday morning! 2438 Ullathorne sqdn
It is the same childlike feeling that you would throw a kite into the air..And you could feel the aerodynamics of air and space in childhood....Of course, I was flying with my Concorde Supersonic and it was a great experience;));))
Wow that takes me back to my 1960s youth with 196 sqdrn Walsall ATC flying out of Ternhill Shropshire, happy days
Okay boomer
I'm in Oregon and cannot wait to soar my first time. Thanks so much for a look back.
Like other here... memories of ATC days. Flew at RAF Burtonwood. Interesting place that. Half US Army supply depot and the rest an RAF gliding establishment (and bus museum!). The old main runway is a section of the M62 so we used the old crumbling cross runway. Nothing like a busy motorway and high tension powerlines on the upwind direction to prey on your mind for landings!
Aaah, happy days. I was a staff cadet for a while at 635 gs in the early 70's. I remember one easter when a launching Cadet Mk3 picked up the second cable on it's tail skid and just about got away with it. The winch driver reacted quickly and chopped the cable but with the weight of the dangling cable making the glider a tad tail heavy it was touch and go. The cable got dragged ovet the newly opened and quiet M62, closing it for a brief spell. I believe 635 moved to Salmesbury for a while and then ended up at Topcliffe. Hello to any other 635 wallahs on here, best regards, Gareth
Flew at burtonwood and sealand as an air cadet
That sure looks like a fun plane!
Well this brings back memories!! 👍👍
They have got one of these at my gliding club, can’t wait to have a go!
Fond memories of getting my license in one of these at RAF Sealand while in the air cadets. 1978!
Flew these at Manston in the early 70s. Good old WB 986. Wonder where she is now......
I trained on these to abc certificate standard aged 16 in the ATC at RAF Swanton Morley in Norfolk and RAF Chivenor in Devon winch launched absolutely amazing feeling went solo after 15 flights. Wow
Fenlands club from RAF Marham flew at Swanton Morley during the Falklands recovery ..... towed a Janus with a tiger moth!
I had a decommissioned Kirby Cadet I my English front garden when I was a kid.
During the time o Spitfires, Hurricanes, ME109s and doodlebugs.
Got me interested in Hangliders, Ultralights and and later licenced on Cessna 172.
Life’s funny
Didn't we call these "Sedburghs"? Did the basic and advanced at West Malling. Superb training. Thank you to all the people I never thanked. Can still remember the checks.
CBSITCB
marvelous glider : I learned my first flying lessons in it in 1956 when I was still a Cadet at RMA Sandhurst
and now you are in heven right
Your camera stick decreases 10% gliding efficiency
Famous Video, famous music and a very good cut!
Went Solo In T21 with ATC at RAF Locking in 1980 at age 16.
Ah great video, brings back memories of Air Cadet days. Mid 60s at RAF Sealand, T21s and T31s. Anyone know the music to this video?
I think it comes from "How To Train Your Dragon"
Flew these at St Athan Glam. A good training glider On a slope the Luftwaffe used to launch theirs with rubber bands
Trained in one from 1957 at Perranporth. I still prefer an open cockpit despite the performance shortcomings.
Nice picture, nice music, clip perfect length.
buddynguyensg thanks!
Flew in one of these many times at RAF Bicester Nr Oxford in the early 70's. Ours was different in that it had an enclosed cockpit.
Fenlands had one I flew in 80s timeframe flew with Andy Geough two weeks before his crash at Brize Norton
1966 RAF Swanton Morley Wattisham 1331 Sqdn ATC detached flight. Ahh Happy days!
great videos, I learned to fly in 2 of these in South Africa, went solo in 1. Great birds
Blimey South Africa in a T21! Having been to Bloemfontein and experienced your thermals I can imagine a T21 was a bit of a handful? thanks for comment!
As one T21 owner told me many years ago.....'it flies so slowly the bugs never stick to the leading edge, they just break there legs and stagger off the trailing edge' ! Is Keith Mitchell still going at Southdown ? He used to be my dentist, open wide this won't hurt.....
StdcirrusDDA Sounds painful even for the bugs!
I ❤️ flying 👍😊❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Great view👍
I'm the only one who flew solo in Singapore when the British were here, I solo this in 1976, great bird!
That is interesting Johnnee. I was in Singapore with the RAF in 60-62. However, I was also in Hong Kong in 71/72, and a group of us gliding types wanted to start a club at Sek kong airbase in the New Territories.. We were offered two gliders by the RAF GSA which were stored in a hanger in Singapore. One ex RAF member, then a pilot flying with Cathay Pacific, went to check them out. He reported back that they had been extensively damaged by some army guys . We never got the gliding club started in HK.
Interesting though because one was a T21. It might have been the same one you soloed in which could have been refurbished by enthusiasts. I learned to glide in an open T21 too, in Germany in 1965 and soloed in a Grunau.
Gliding became my main sport after that, I couldn't get enough. I must have spent a thousand hours instructing and another thousand competition and solo flying.
I had another Singapore connection when gliding at Bicester in 1973. I helped teach the first Singaporean Airforce pilots to glide before they went on power courses at RAF Topcliffe. Most of them went solo before they left us.
In S'pore, I lived with my wife and babies at 57 Jalen Chempedak on Sambawang Hills Estate. We loved the Old Singapore, no air conditioning, Just fans and little traffic. We did go air conditioned restaurants now and again for a cool night out.
Memories eh! Enough said.
Very Best wishes, stay cool
Warren
warren.fearon@icloud.com
Beautiful! Love it!
That was awesome, but man that would freak me out.
Oh my brought back memories wasn’t this called the segburg??
We have one of these at our club - weird but fantastical creatures of the air!
Catterick 1977 we had these and the T31 Mark 3s that we all solo-ed in. I nearly flew one headfirst into the old Buccaneer that was parked on the far side of the airfield because I got my landing wrong, but pulling airbrakes at 20 feet slammed it down and a load of rudder steered it to stop just to the side of it. I got away with it and decided to be an accountant instead.
Turn the bloody music off so I can hear the..... oh no hang on...
MBCGRS 🤣
@ I blame autocorrect.... edited...
I'm muslim from morocco .
I salute you and wish you further progress. You do a lot for humanity.
Thanks
Would have been nice to know how a cable pulling from the ground gets you up so high
Shhhh; Is a secret!😉
I figured it out...They hung a Pulley from the moon
It's a giant bungee cord
The winched cable length to obtainable height at the top of the launch is roughly a 3:1 ratio under ideal conditions ( keeping fingers crossed that you don't get a cable break!!).
On average you got about 7-800 ft from a cable launch
Great video! It inspires me to experience gliding :-)
Just beautiful - T21 for ever.
very nice!
WOW ! Beautiful ! Thank You.
I flew in something similar once - ES52-Kookaburra. It was a mite weird after a year of Blaniks.
I went solo in one of these when I was in the cadets , back in the 80s. Lovely to see them still flying. Shame about the distracting music though .
Nah,the music suits this little video......uplifting, just like a flight in the 'Sedburg' was. Spent many happy moments flying and doing aerobatics in these lovely old gliders.
This glider looks very british. Oh wait, it is very british! 😃
The open cockpit looks like real fun. The only time i flew with open cockpit was maybe ten years ago in an Ka6. It was realy nice.
good memories of Air Cadets in the 70s the good old Barge
ce magnifique d'avoir un avion cabriolet merci pour la technologie merci beaucoup vraiment c'est géniale vive la technologie., Carlos Af
Like Condors! Just incredible, guys. 😎✨
Уровень безопасности зашкаливающий.
It's both beautiful and scary to me. All you need is an up draft, or a down draft to loose control
You give mixed signals. All you need is a cold shower, or a cold bath to teach you a lesson
So amazing.
What a great video.
Love the video, it's brilliant
Cool.. what are the black curled bars on the nose?
Pitot tube - measures the airspeed. They only had an ASI, altimeter, turn and slip indicator and climb and descent indicator, as far as I can remember (it's nearly forty years since I've flown in one).
Oh my god !!! What is that . Never saw like this before, is this runs with engine or without engine.
Air Cadets--a Gazillion years ago! I liked this video after the first 2 secs.
yeah I totally agree, fond memories of 481 Sqn ATC
Wow how amazing was that
Great for light thermal flying where low speed and small radius turns are essential.
Well since we're up here how about getting out and walking on the wing?
Гап йук
How is the posibel
Fly whithaut engine
What if one filled the wings with helium? Would it stay up longer? How would the handling be affected?
One would upset the mass distribution and move the center of gravity, causing unpredictable behavior :)
And you and your ground handlers would all be talking with high-pitched, squeaky voices!!!
How wonderful it would be to soar like a bird, with no engine. The wind blows in your hair, how amazing must that be to have the freedom of flight.
I've had a flight or two in one of these with the Upward Bound Trust in Haddenham. I wonder if they are still going?
I guess they still fly. Why not? There are many oldtimer meetings, and even here in the Netherlands quite some T21's are airworthy. If you do gliding, it's a good idea joining a group of owners, or a club, flying T21's. Those oldtimer meetings are good fun, helping the maintenance is nice, so why not?
Go gliding yourself and find that T21 in your area.
@@voornaam3191 The trust is a charity, dedicated to getting youngsters into flying. It's decades since I was there, and the village was always growing towards the airfield...
@@keithattwood59 Those activities are great fun, many airfields still do such a day each year. But I don't know that airfield. And yeah, living next to an airfield is not everyone's childhood dream...
@@voornaam3191 It seems that airfield was closed last year for housing development. It originally was used in WW2. The trust used a winch when I was there. The only others flying from there, were horse racing jockeys with their private light aircraft to get to various meets. Back then, one of the instructors was a veteran who flew the Horsa....
@@keithattwood59 Thanks. Then it's history, now. That jockey connection is fun. Wouldn't see that very often in the Netherlands or even Germany. At least you have flewn there, once.
And the Horsa prevented the Norwegian heavy water getting into a German atomic bomb. Just checked wiki. Wow.
Thank you
Thats pretty spectacular
This takes me back 50+ years to a day at RAF Tangmere as an ATC cadet.
I tried to start a glidng club at Tangmere in 1956 or7. The C.O. said No, so that was the end of that.