'Memory Lane' - where are we going?

[Guest TOSGcentral]

INTERIM BREATHER.

 

 

Yeah well! Perhaps time to draw breath on this series – so take the following as a bit of a ‘what do we do next’ type of thing.

 

 

Although I had a vague idea on how big this series could be, it is beginning to shape up and requires some predictable form to it so that readers can follow it and maybe gain from it.

 

 

Initially, I simply wanted to put some activity and interest into the gliding section of the forums. Now I have to make some decisions because what I am doing is not just tracking what I have flown, but started getting involved in the evolution of gliding itself.

 

 

OK – what I am going to do then is the following.

 

 

I have covered the main trainers for the pre-war and post war development phases but stopped short of the plastic fantastics (that are a complicated enough story in themselves).

 

 

Now I will revert to single seaters of the same period that the trainers were supporting. That is going to be a lot of aircraft in terms of both production and ‘el-weirdos’ that came along in those time periods.

 

 

After that we will take a look into the motor glider area and there is going to be quite a lot of those, which will be mainly trainers/two seaters but some single seaters as well.

 

 

Then we will get into the glass two seaters and so into a division in gliding ethics as translated by production aircraft and movement demands.

 

 

This will be followed by the glass single seaters (of which there are a lot) and others of the ‘modern generation’.

 

 

Already I find myself starting to stray from what is in my own log books but there are important types that I have not flown, know well and have important places in the linking of the international gliding story. Any type that I have not flown will be clearly stated and there are some beauties – the Reiher, BS1, Phoenix, D36 Circe, the French production flying wing gliders – all of whom played their place and made their mark.

 

 

Make no mistake – I do not seek to set myself up at the status of Martin Simons and Chris Wills – guys that I have undying respect and admiration for – I seek an odd combination of entertainment and some education.

 

 

This series is not any form of historical treatise – but rather what it was like to have your hands on them, work with them – or at times work against them.

 

 

Looks now like we are going to go about 50 episodes or more.

 

 

[tvaner]

Seat belts on. Hatch's secure. "Keep'em coming Tony.":thumb_up: They're a great read and entertaining.