Sunday, 9 August 2009

Keevil - Inter-Services Regional Gliding Championship - 5.8.09


On the Grid ready to go - Grob G102 Astir CS77 G-DDOE is operated by the Heron GC at RNAS Yeovilton and was built in 1977


RAF Keevil airfield in Wiltshire is home to the Bannerdown Gliding club part of the Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association ( RAFGSA ) - this year they hosted the Inter-Services Regional Gliding Championship ( ISRGC ) for a week of competition in early August 2009.

The poor summer weather meant that competition days 3, 4 and 5 were cancelled - I visited Keevil on Wednesday 5th August and found almost 40 gliders lined up on the Grid ready for the start of the competition - unfortunately a 20 minute shower and some low cloud caused the days flying to be scrubbed just as they were due to launch.



Beautiful sleek Schleicher ASW 27 coded "P10" was built in 2001


SZD 51-1 Junior G-CJLG was built in 1990 and is operated by the Army Gliding Asociation at Upavon - all ready to launch but it rained.


Centrair 101A G-DEVM coded "N51" operates with the Seahawk GC at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall and was built in 1984

G-DCPM Glasflugel Standard Libelle 201B has a lovely tadpole shape - this glider was built back in 1971 and is based at Upavon


Rolladen Schneider LS8-18 G-WDGC coded "M9" is based at Upavon and was built in 2001


G-DCCU Schleicher KA 6E c/n 4122 coded "CCU"built in 1967 ( thanks to James for this correction )


G-CFRZ Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus c/n 348G was built under licence by Grob in 1973


Schleicher ASK 21 G-CKJP coded "R12" is home based at Keevil with the Bannerdown GC



The event brought half a dozen visiting tug aircraft to Keevil including Chipmunks G-AOTF ( RAFGSA ), AOUO ( RAFGSA ) , ATVF ( RAFGSA ) , BAVH ( Royal Navy Gliding Soaring Association ), BCKN ( RAFGSA ) plus Pawnees G-ASIY ( RAFGSA ) and BDPJ ( RAFGSA ).

G-AOTF is a rare singe seat Chipmunk 23. This aircraft was originally built for the RAF as a conventional T 10 serial WB563 with c/n C1-0015 in 1950. In 1956 it was registered as G-AOTF and was flown by the RAE Farnborough Aero Club. It was sold to Farm Aviation in 1963 and was converted to a single seater for agricultural spraying services. In 1969 it was bought by the RAFGSA as a glider tug and has remained with them for the past 40 years. Now almost 60 years old the aircraft still provides a valuable service and is the only Chipmunk 23 version flying in the UK.


Chipmunk 22 G-BAVH operates with the Portsmouth Naval Gliding Club at Lee on Solent. This Chipmunk was built in 1953 as WP975 with the RAF. It became G-BAVH in 1973 operating with the RAFGSA before being passed onto the Portsmouth Naval Gliding Club in 1981. The original Gypsy Moth engine has been replaced by a Lycoming O-360-A4A.


Another type popular with gliding clubs for aero tows is the Piper Pawnee - this former agricultural spraying aircraft G-ASIY was built in 1963 with c/n 25-2446. For 20 years it flew with ADS Aerial Spraying based at Southend. In 1984 it was accquired by the RAFGSA and is now based at Bicester. By the end of 2008 it has flown over 9410 flight hours.




Keevil has a collection of older gliders undergoing or awaiting restoration among them is Slingsby T 42 Skylark 3 registration BGA 735 built in 1955






Among the resident gliders and aircraft at Keevil are several vintage former RAF gliders including Slingsby T21B Sedbergh TX 1 WB981 featuring side by side seating now operating as BGA 3238



LINK to Official ISRGC website for this competition


LINK to Army Gliding Association


LINK to Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association

LINK to Royal Navy Gliding & Soaring Association

Monday, 3 August 2009

MW Fly In - Warren Farm Charterhouse near Cheddar 2.8.09


The MW Club hold their annual Fly In to Warren Farm near Cheddar in Somerset. The club is for owners, pilots and fans of the designs of Mike Whittaker such as the MW5 Sorcerer and the MW6 Merlin and MW6S Fat Boy Flyer two seaters.

This years event took place over the weekend of 2nd & 3rd August - the weather was bad on the 2nd but a bit better on Sunday 3rd. Seen mid afternoon on 3rd were


G-MMGV - this is the original prototype MW5 Series A c/n 001 first flown in July 1984 here at Warren Farm. Built by Microknight Aviation and registered as G-MMGV on 2.12.1983. By 31.12.08 this aircraft had flown 140 hours. The top photo shows the aircrafts Fuji-Robin EC-34 engine.




G-MWEK MW5 Sorcerer - this example was home built in the Exeter area in the early 1990s and has PFA c/n 163-11284. Officially registered on 20.2.90 the first flight took place in 1994 ( ? ) - by 31.12.07 this aircraft had flown over 208 hours. This aircraft has a Rotax 447 engine.



Visiting the MW fly In was Skyranger G-CCMX - powered by a Rotax 912 engine this Skyranger first flew in 2004 and is based in Gloucestershire.


LINK to MW Club web site