Our Deputy CFI, Gordon, rigged and flew his vintage Slingsby Swallow this weekend. Designed in 1957, the T45 Swallow was one of Slingsby’s most successful gliders commercially, with slightly over 100 produced, of which around 25 were exported to Spain. They were also purchased by the RAF Air Training Corps and military gliding and soaring associations in the UK.

This beautiful example is the last but one Swallow built, in 1968, before a fire at the Slingsby factory put an end to production. Gordon took it off for a two and a half hour soaring flight, before it was derigged and placed safely back in its trailer.