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 GCThe 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
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