Roger Middleton

Rogers early days of hang gliding in the UK

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First morning of first League meet, Abergavenny, Feb 1977. Ken Messenger of Birdman tying a kite down to the roof, Brian Wood - who went on to be first National Champion in white/purple jumper, Graham Hobson - background, right of centre in red, Bob Calvert and Steve Hunt (Hiway owner) half hidden behind car on right, Bob England (centre side view, brown jacket behind van) designer of Hiway Demon - first successful British CFX. Bob England subsequently died in a paragliding accident at Torrey Pines, and Steve Hunt died in a microlight mid air breakup of his "Pathfinder".

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Not sure where this was taken. Pilot looks like Ashley Doubtfire.		Wasp Falcon3, flown by Roger Black of the South Devon Club, 1975.		Bob Wills, founder of Wills Wing, on WW Swallowtail, Mere 1975.		Bob Wills, founder of Wills Wing, on Swallowtail at Mere. Black glider used in filming Sky Riders with James Coburn		Bob Wills on the black Swallowtail from the "Skyriders" film, starring James Coburn. Naff film but great flying sequences. Mere 1975.
Bob and Susie Wills land on the spot with WW Swallowtail from the "Skyriders" film. Mere 1975.		Fledgling Mk1		Wasp CB240, Mere 1975. (CB = Curved Boom, and 240 = sq footage of sail)		Gerry Breen on prototype "Breenwave". Hay Bluffs 1975.		Gerry Breen on prototype "Breenwave", Hay Bluffs, 1975.
Gerry Breen on prototype "Breenwave", Hay Bluff		Cdr Mike Collis on Tweetie, Mere 1975		Wasp 229, Shoreham, 1974. Is that Chris Corston flying ?		Wasp 229, Mill Hill, Shoreham. Chris Corston on right. 1974. Advanced topless design! Chris was paralysed in a h/g accident a couple of years later, but went on to become the first salaried Secretary of the BHGA, a post he held for many years laying a firm foundation for the future.		Pilot didn't clip in and let go sufficiently early to get away with it! Another "Topless".
Wasp 229 at Mill Hill, Shoreham.		Chris Corston with his new purchase.		Wasp 229. Just look where that control frame bottom bar is!
Roger Middleton at his day job, 1976.		Unknown at Castlemorton Common, 1976.		Rob Stokes preparing to launch Icarus V, Hole of Horcum 1976.		Bob Stokes on Icarus V, Hole of Horcum, N. Yorks, 1976.		Bob Stokes and Icarus V. Hole of Horcum, 1976.
Bob Stokes on Icarus V at the Horcum 1976		Bob Stokes on Icarus V at Hole of Horcum, N.Yorks 1976		Dave Cook, on VJ23. Hole of Horcum 1976.		Dave Cook, on VJ23. Hole of Horcum 1976.
Dave Cook on Volmer Jenson VJ73, Hole of Horcum, N.Yorks. 1976.		Andrew Hill, age 11, about to launch Breen Butterfly at Hay Bluffs, 1975. Andrews Father, Roy, went on to become chairman of the BHGA		Andrew Hill, age 11, on Breen Butterfly, 1975. Hay Bluffs.		11 year old Andrew Hill, Breen Butterfly, 1975 at Hay Bluffs.		11 year old Andrew Hill on Breen Butterfly. Hay Bluffs. 1975
Roger Middleton, with Skyline 175 on Glen Shee chairlift, 1977.		Brian Wood on WW SST 90 at Hole of Horcum 1976.		Roger Middleton on WW SST100B, N.Wales 1976.		Roger Middleton on WW SST100B, N.Wales 1976		Brian Wood goes for spot. Minto, nr Peebles 1977.
		Over the moon! Phoenix 6b, North Hill, Minehead, 1976.		Bob Bailey on WW XC220, 1977.		One of the Fack twins. Phoenic 8 at Pandy at first League meet, Feb 1977.		Training at Milk Hill, 1977. Jan Ketelaar on the nose tether.
Training, Milk Hill 1977.		Training, Milk Hill, Wilts. Ashley Doubtfire in White helmet.		Skyhook Canard, flown by Graham Hobson, 1978.		League landing field, Newtown, Welsh borders, 1977.		Brian Wood.
Mick Maher lands the Wasp Falcon.		Training on West fell, Cumbria. Roger Middleton on nose tether, 1977		Training on West fell, Cumbria. Roger Middleton on nose tether, 1977		Training on West fell, Cumbria. Roger Middleton on nose tether, 1977		Training on West fell, Cumbria. Roger Middleton on nose tether, 1977
Teaching on West Fell, Cumbria. 1978.		Graham Hobson on Skyhook Sunspot. 1977.		Bob Calvert on the spot.		Bob Calvert on Hiway Scorpion - forerunner of Super Scorpion. Pandy, 1977.		Chipmunk buzzes Mere, 1975.
Mile Handley on prototype Miles Wing Gryphon, Pandy 1977		I think this was Johnny Carr on the Gryphon 1. Designer Miles Handley on the nose wires.		Hiway Scorpion. 1977.		Johnny Carr (?) on Miles Wing Gryphon 1.		Dave Weeks on Walla Crag, 1977. Flying a home built Flexiform Spirit.
Mervyn Davy in home made supine harness at North Hill, Minehead 1977						BBC filming final League of 1978, near Newtown, mid Wales. 1978.		Lester Cruse lining up for the spot, 1977.
Bob Bailey on WW XC220, GlenShee, 1978.		Congestion, North Hill, Minehead, 1977.		North Hill, Minehead, 1977.		Getting a lift with Keswick Mountain Rescue up the back of Jenkin Hill. Graham Hobson in blue shorts, John Hudson (dec'd) and Keith Cockroft (dec'd) pushing. Summer 1976 .		John Hudson on home built prototype. Jenkin Hill, 1976.
From L-R, Eric Hindmarsh, Graham Hobson, Roger Middleton, and Eileen and John Hudson (founders of Mainair sports and microlight pioneer), both sadly dec'd. Summer 1976.				Mitchell Wing		Rigging at Mere, 1975.		Dave Weeks on McBroom Cobra, 1976.
Roger Middleton on WW SST100B. Mere 1977. In the background, Graham Leason in red harness, and Mark Southall (immediately right of white door).		Ashley Doubtfire on left. Hay Bluffs, 1975		Ashley Doubtfire flying dual, Hay Bluffs.		Ashley Doubtfire, Hay Bluffs. 1975
Hay Bluffs, 1975.		Hay Bluffs, 1975.				Ken Messenger on UP Dragonfly, Mere 1975		Miles Handley on Miles Wing Gulp, Hole of Horcum 1976.
Johnny Carr on Miles Wing Gulp, Hole of Horcum 1976.		Miles Handley on Miles Wing Gulp, Hole of Horcum 1976.		Miles Wing Gulp. 1976. Graham Leason looks on pensively, far left.		Ashley Doubtfire and pupil flying dual at Hay Bluff, 1975		Johnny Carr on Miles Wing Gulp, Mere
One of the Fack twins, Phoenix 8, Pandy 1977.		Miles Handley on MW Gryphon 1, Pandy 1977
Roger Middleton flying a John Malin Ridge Rider off Latrigg, Keswick, with Keswick Bypass under construction 1976.		Roger Middleton on SST100B, Scotland 1977.						Dave Weeks on home built Flexiform Spirit, Walla Crag, Keswick 1977.
Dave Weeks on home built Flexiform Spirit, Walla Crag, Keswick 1977. Roy Richards on the nose wires. Leading edges 1 1/2" tube supported by deflexor wires.		Walla Crag 1977		Rhossili launch and top landing.		Red Arrows at "families day", RAF Cranwell, June 1975.		OK, not HG, but merely to remind ourselves of just how good the Red Arrows used to be allowed to be! Note from the smoke trails how both aircraft have climbed to get to this crossover position at 360 kts (414 mph) - a closing sped of over 800 mph. That wingspan is just 22 ft (about 6m 73cms), so much smaller than the average hang glider.
Roger Middleton in a familiar pose for the early days. 1975.		Rhossili.						Roger Middleton, Wasdale, Cumbria 1976.
		Roger Middleton at launch, Glenshee 1977.		Roger Middleton - about to launch Flexiform Skyline 175 off The Cairnwell, Glenshee 1979. Not a bad glider in its day.		Roger Middleton on Flexiform Skyline 175, Glenshee 1979		Roger Middleton on Flexiform Skyline 175 at Glenshee, 1979
Dave Weeks on home built Flexiform Vector 1978		Mike Atkinson of the S Devon Club on a Birdman Moonraker. 1978		Mike Atkinson goes for Spot - Birdman Moonraker 1978.		Mike Atkinson goes for Spot - Birdman Moonraker 1978. Mike always made up with brute strength what he sometimes lacked in finesse!		Roger Middleton on John Malin Ridge Rider, Hole of Horcum, Yorkshire, 1976.
Peter Day on Cirrus 3, Hole of Horcum, 1976.		Brian Milton on Phoenix 6B, Hole of Horcum, 1976.		Alvin Russell on a Phoenix 6b 1976 at Hole of Horcum. Sadly Alvin died in a hg accident in Ireland a few months later, and the League Trophy bears his name.		Hole of Horcum landing zone. There is a big slope on that field!
Steve Hunt on Hiway experimental "Fledgling clone" at Hole of Horcum, 1976. Never went in to production.		Steve Hunt on Hiway experimental "Fledgling clone" at Hole of Horcum, 1976. Never went in to production.				Southdown Sailwings Sigma - an Ian Grayland design, circa 1976.		Vulturelite Emu, another Ian Grayland design.
Vulturelite Emu at Glenshee, 1979.		Wasp 229 at Mill Hill Shoreham, 1974.				Possibly Graham Hobson at the first Hang Gliding League comp, Pandy, Feb 1977.		Vulturelite Emu.
Wasp 229, Mill Hill, Shoreham. 1974.						Dave Weeks on home built Flexiform Spirit, Walla Crag, Keswick 1977.		Graham Hobson on Prototype Skyhook canard. Pandy 1977. Wags said it was called a canard 'cos it canardly fly.
Flexorm Vector goes for the spot, Glenshee 1977.		Landing field, Welsh borders, 1978.		Dave Weedon on Birdman Moonraker, Westbury 1977.				Unknown on Walla Crag, 1978.
Freathy, 1977.		Graham Hobson at altitude from Jenkin Hill, 1976.				Rhossili, 1976.		Murray Rose examining the Chargus power unit. Mere 1976. Is that Len Gabriels back right?
Direct drive McCulloch with a 24 inch prop developed by Chargus, based on the Soarmaster being inspected by Mervyn Davy's dog - "Piggy". 1976.		Len Gabriels own designed power unit on a skyhook, based on Soarmaster concept. 1976.		Miles Wing Gryphon 3, Welsh borders 1978		Take off. Glenshee 1978.		Dave Weeks on home built Flexiform Spirit, Walla Crag, Keswick 1977. Dave turned up at the inaugural meeting of the Cumbrian HG Club with his leg in plaster.
		Nesting WW XC175. I think it was Ian Currer!		Here comes the cavalry		... but they are not needed.

Photos from Roger Middleton