After many months’ absence from these columns, here is a short account of our activities. Launch is by Specialist built diesel tow cars cared for by two Willing members, David Huband and Alec Thompson, who act as launch contractors to the club. This system works Well and relieves members of tow car maintenance. Aero-tows are however coming into their own. We have a visiting Auster and a club-based tug owned by David Schofield which offers aero-towing on a full-time basis. The club fleet consists of a Capstan, a K-I3, a Swallow and a Skylark 4 with private owners much in evidence. At our dinner-dance cups were awarded by our new chairman, Fred Butcher (the Flying Farmer) as follows: the Whitbread trophy for the flight of the year-Eric Winning for a gain of height of 13,000ft; the Return trophy for a 170km out-and-return-David Schofield and the Dayson trophy went to Christine Day for her seven-hour epic flight around the Cotswolds. The Cadet cup for best progress was awarded earlier to Gay Gilchrist who was visiting from the States. This year we have at last realised the potential of local wave in the lee of the Cotswolds and to prove a point the club fleet headed by Alan Chester sat for most of one afternoon at 7,000ft. Jonn Trenchard continues as CFI and Ray Nicholas as his deputy. The weekend catering staff headed by Jean and John Wright are providing consistently hot food most of the time. Len Morris keeps the fleet airworthy.
