The closest gliding airfield to my home field of Robledillo is Santa Tome del Puerto, about 25 minutes away by Motorfalke (or substantially more, depending on how much time one dawdles in the thermals along the way). Every year around the middle of July, some very engaged club members organise a week-long Vintage Glider meet.
It is a low-key affair, with about 10 vintage gliders and half a dozen other rare birds in attendance.
Alan Sands' meticulously restored Grunau Baby is one of the regulars. It is absolutely perfect down to the last detail.
And this L4 is apparently one of the dinkum, original 1940s planes that took part in Operation D-Day in WW2.
|
|
Falke among the pigeons
The Vintage Meet is a casual affair. A bit of flying, a lot of chewing the fat with other fans of old planes. In attendance were: a Grunau Baby III, a
Slingsby T-21, a Kranich, a K2, a Bergfalke II, a couple of K6 and the club's own K13. And my (not quite vintage, but not really all that new) Motorfalke.
Slingsby T-21, a Kranich, a K2, a Bergfalke II, a couple of K6 and the club's own K13. And my (not quite vintage, but not really all that new) Motorfalke.
I took advantage of a lull in the proceedings and asked British gliding legend Alan Sands if he would like to come for a flight in the Falke. To my delight he accepted with enthusiasm, and we spent almost 2 hours playing in the excellent conditions. Alan flew most of the way and completely changed what I presumed to be possible in one of these old machines. For a start, I had no idea a Falke could turn that tightly. And I was gratified to see that, at least compared with the various other vintage gliders dotting the sky, the Falke did not do too badly. Although I suspect the pilot had a lot to do with it.
Even the attending model aeroplanes were mostly vintage.
After 2 days of flying, talking shop, and enjoying the friendly atmosphere I snuck out early and headed back south over the mountains. As Schwarzenegger says: "I'll be back!"
