Air Cadet Historic Flight CIO
This is the website for the Air Cadet Historic Flight (ACHF), based at Nympsfield – home of the Bristol & Gloucestershire Gliding Club.
Registered Charity 1211603,
History
The original 621 VGS Historic Flight was formed over twenty years ago, and consisted of current and past members of 621 Volunteer Gliding Squadron. Together with other like-minded individuals these original founder members formed a group to preserve and operate former Air Training Corps gliders from the ‘wooden era’ .
After the original base at Hullavington airfield was redeveloped the group moved, firstly to Swindon Gliding club and later to the Bristol & Gloucestershire gliding club at Nympsfield where we have renamed ourselves the Air Cadet Historic Flight (ACHF).
For the ACHF Nympsfield has provided a base to grow and offers the type of flying & soaring opportunities that only come at a well established ridge site. Over recent years a number of BGGC members, as well as others, have joined the ACHF & are enjoying the chance to fly gliders which were commonplace in the 50’s and 60’s.
Future Plans
The ACHF has developed out of the 621 VGS Historic Flight & now comprises a (nearly) complete collection of “wood-era” Air Cadet gliders. Our aim is to secure the long term future of this collection, preserve the heritage of the Air Cadet movement in an active flying environment and use this to educate and inform the public.
We are a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with the object of furthering this goal. While we have a comprehensive collection of aircraft our next steps are to seek external funding to establish a permanent “home” where the collection can be made more available to the wider public to view for historic & educational purposes as well as being restored, maintained and flown by Members.
We aim to exhibit our gliders at selected public events and via scheduled visits – see our Facebook page for details or contact us.