A report by Chris Perkins
A group of club members and their wives/partners had a superb day out when they visited the Lasham Gliding Heritage Society at Lasham airfield, south of Basingstoke. In the nine years since their first visit much work has been carried out by volunteers to expand the whole set up. After being met outside of the Lasham Gliding Centre we were escorted around the airfield perimeter to the south side where the exhibition is housed and a group photograph was taken outside of the original hanger. We were then treated to an introductory talk outlining the history and development of the centre.
It was formed in 2012 when a bequest from one of the founders of the international Vintage Glider Club, Chris Wills, enabled the centre to build the first hanger. Over the years, the centre has grown and they now have the largest collection of historic gliders in this country – over seventy gliders with an age range from 1910 to the present day with several more stored in trailers outside on the airfield. Most are in flying condition or can be made airworthy.
We learned that most of the gliders have been donated by owners who want them to be preserved and if possible, kept in flying condition. A second hanger was built in 2018, and recently a much-needed modern workshop was constructed thus facilitating major restoration projects and routine maintenance. Each year, certain gliders are earmarked for restoration and returned to flying condition, thus ensuring, by rotation, that the immaculate condition of hanger exhibits is maintained.
The complete centre infrastructure has been financed by generous voluntary donations. In particular, the expansion to establish a workshop and briefing room complex, has been made possible by a large bequest from one of the former members Trish Williams.
After the briefing we were split into small groups for a comprehensive tour of the hangers and workshop. The volunteers gave us an in-depth excursion around highlighting the development of gliding over the years both in operational terms and technological development.
Two of the gliders the extensive collection of particular note were the “Clarke Chanute” and the “Colditz Cock”.
- The “Clarke Chanute” is an original machine, manufactured in 1910 by T W K Clarke & Co of Kingston on Thames. Due to its age it’s not airworthy and has been in storage since 1913 in the Science and RAF Museums. It was presented by the Aero Club Trust on loan to the Centre in January 2018.
- The “Colditz Cock” is a replica, one of two gliders, manufactured in 2012 by South-East Aircraft Services and loaned by Tony Hoskins. A non-airworthy machine, it was built to support the Channel 4 documentary on the Colditz Cock which was screened in that year. The sister glider was built in the same Colditz Castle attic that the prisoners had used to construct the original in 1944/45. The sister aircraft was launched under radio control from the Colditz Castle roof in March 2012 and made a crash landing in the planned landing field below the castle.
After, what was a most enjoyable and incredible three-hour tour we were escorted across the airfield, busy with gliding activity, to our start point where the majority of us made the most of the dining facilities offered by the “Flight Deck Café”. It’s open to the public as well as members and has an outside patio and seating area. The café serves an extensive variety of snacks besides an excellent selections of hot meals. All very reasonably priced.
Photograph taken by Stephen Thair in 1981 while being aerotowed on a glider flight
Probus Club of Basingstoke 