our history
Chilterns Gliding Club officially came into existence on 1 January 1958 and was formed by a small band of enthusiasts from Windrushers Gliding Club. The original fleet consisted of a single aircraft, the Slingsby T.7 Kirby Cadet TX.3, and our first flying day was on 15 March 1958 at Wycombe Air Park in Booker, Buckinghamshire.
swift relocation to raf benson in 1958
The Club’s residence at Booker, however, was short-lived as the operations to build a runway at Booker slowly strangled our flying activities and so, in September 1958, we swiftly relocated to RAF Benson, near Wallingford in South Oxfordshire, where we were given permission to operate.
By the end of our first year, we achieved 3,000 launches and over 200 flying hours, with over 100 members and a strong fleet consisting of a Slingsby T.7 Kirby Cadet TX.1, two TX.2’s, a TX.3, a Slingsby T.21, a Schneider Grunau Baby, a Slingsby T.4 Falcon 3 and an EoN Olympia.
In April 1964, a local farmer offered us the use of a large, 50-acre field for winch launching, which allowed us to soar the local Chilterns ridges in a breezy north-westerly wind, and by August 1966 the fleet consisted of a Slingsby T.21b, a Schneider Grunau Baby 2, a EoN Olympia 2b, a Schleicher Ka 6 and a Scheibe SF-26 Super Spatz.
Around this time, a winch launch and the first 20 minutes of soaring cost 2 shillings and each 5 minutes after cost an extra sixpence!
the fire of 1970
1970 came to a disastrous end for us at RAF Benson.
The Club’s hangar was badly damaged by a fire and destroyed four gliders. Luckily, our ground equipment survived and Moonrakers Gliding Club came to our aid with the loan of a Schleicher Ka-4, which enabled us to recommence operations at RAF Benson in early December 1970.
With the hangar destroyed, members had to rig and de-rig every flying day and, by the end of January, could rig the Ka-4 in ten minutes!
move to RAF Abingdon in 1971
In March 1971, the Club made the decision to move to RAF Abingdon, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire due to the lack of hangar space at RAF Benson and for other service reasons. Our operations at Abingdon required us to have a direct telephone link with RAF Brize Norton, to assist with the avoidance of any conflicts with their MATZ. The facilities at Abingdon included a heated hangar with lights and electrical doors. Around this time, we also accepted a couple of gliders from Moonrakers Gliding Club, which had by this point decided to cease operations.
By October 1971, our fleet had been returned to full strength following the fire and consisted of a Schleicher Ka-4, Ka 6E, Ka 6CR, Ka 8 and an SZD-9 Bocian, and in June 1972, the Club acquired a brand new Schleicher ASK 13. At the time, the Club hoped that the ASK 13 would be used for cross-country training, flying minimum tasks of 100km and the Schleicher Ka 6E was reserved for advanced cross-country flying!
jump to RAF Weston-on-the-green in 1972/1973
Between June 1972 and August 1973, the Club moved yet again, this time to RAF Weston-on-the-Green, near Bicester, Oxfordshire, sharing the airfield with the Oxford Gliding Club and the RAF Sport Parachute Association. Our president, Air Vice Marshal Stacey, visited on the last day of operations at Abingdon and was flown by Cpl Geoff Millward to Weston-on-the-Green in the Club’s ASK 13 registration “241” (incidentally, the same glider we still have today, registration now “R41”), our first official landing at our new home.
By December 1973, the fleet consisted of a Schleicher Ka-4, Ka 6E, Ka 8, Ka 13, SZD-36 Cobra 15 and a Slingsby Kestrel.
The first recorded ‘longest day’ event for the Club was in 1977, which was a highly successful day with gliding from dawn and a barbecue and much real ale consumed until the following dawn.
final journey to RAF Halton in 1980
In August 1980, the Club moved for the final time to our current home, RAF Halton, near Wendover, Buckinghamshire due to the restrictions to flying as a result of the parachute dropping at Weston-on-the-Green by the RAF Sports Parachute Association. The airfield is nestled at the foot of the Chilterns Hills, allowing for long flights on the ridges when the wind is north-westerly. By August 1985, the fleet consisted of a Schleicher Ka 7, Ka 8, Ka 13, Slingsby Vega and a Grob G102 Astir.
In June 1991, we acquired a superbly fitted catering bus, donated by the Aylesbury Bus Co, which we use to this day.
We moved into our new hangar in December 1994, with the latest fleet consisting of two Schleicher Ka 13s, two Ka 8s, a Ka 6CR and two Schempp-Hirth Discus’. It is amusing to note that even back in 1994, we were unable to fly after 8pm in the summer because of the noise our engines are supposed to make!
University College London Gliding Club moved to our site in 1995/early 1996 and still fly with us.
expeditions
The Club has a long tradition of going on expeditions around the country. The first recorded expedition was a ridge soaring trip to Sutton Bank from 23 April to 5 May 1967, which was very successful and resulted in 7 Silver C legs being achieved.
The Club regularly visited Sutton Bank and Aboyne from 1969 onwards. There are also recorded visits to Compton Abbas in July 1970, Shobdon in December 1971, Portmoak in early 1986, to Romorantin in 1986 (with enourmous success - all pilots achieving 300km flights, 4,000km and almost 200 hours from 60 launches) and again in 1988.
get in touch
Do you have a missing piece of Chilterns history, a memory, anecdote or picture you would like to share? Please email these through to chilternsglidingclub@outlook.com.