Vintage Slingbsy glider flights – good old fashioned open-cockpit gliding now available! This is your chance to fly in a rare Slingsby T21 glider. The vintage soaring machine is still very much a favourite and it’s a real honour to be able to offer flights in a stunning example of the classic T21.
Known as ‘Daisy’ this T21 was built in 1951. Designed and built in the UK by Slingsby the very first T21s took to the sky in 1944. They were used by RAF Air Cadets for training right up until the 1980s proving that this graceful bird has real staying power. Now many are in the hands of private owners and glider clubs who lovingly preserve these wonderful machines.
These Slingsbys look quite different to modern gliders. Affectionately called ‘The Barge’ it’s easy to say why with that wide flat boat-like hull. Unusually the T21 has a side-by-side configuration compared to most gliders that are tandem with one person sitting behind the other. But the major difference is that this baby is open cockpit. That means you are completely open to the elements making a flight in a vintage Slingsby glider with its 54ft wingspan the nearest you’ll get to being a bird!
Resplendent in her RAF trainer colours Daisy is a magnificent sight in the sky. Loved by RAF cadets (and their instructor trainers) for being robust stable with rather sedate flying qualities the T21 is pure gliding joy. With her distinctive looks Daisy is a real head turner.
Your flight will be a winch-launch giving you around 10-minutes of soaring in the skies above Bicester. Being the elegant lady of a certain age that she is Daisy can only fly in clement weather so please be patient with her. If your booked flying date is cancelled you can choose to rebook or take a flight in one of the club’s modern gliders.
We have to say flying with one of the country’s oldest glider clubs at one of the oldest airfields (RAF Weston-on-the-Green is still an active RAF base too boot) in a classic vintage Slingsby glider is a true delight. Anyone who is into silent flight will absolutely love this experience. Buy your voucher now and book your seat in this historic open-cockpit vintage glider. It’s going to be quite a flight.
