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Dedicated to Sifow loving pilots everywhere, send me a picture and a few words and web immortality is yours.

"Betsy", my old K6cr. Here flown by Andy Kirkland in the Juniors...I forget where he finished! Now gone to the Stratford-on-Avon club with new owner Bryn Floyd. Betsy is going wave flying in the Yorkshire 'mountains' soon, so watch above for a red and cream speck in the distance!

In the words of the owner John Kitchen; "My wife and I own the most wonderful K6cr 'EPW', it really is the dogs gonads. We have owned it for 13 years and love it. I`ve flown all my silver in it and gold height we regularly take it on cross country excursions from Kirton Lindsey when the Nimbus 2 and Lak12 brigade claim that " it`s just not good enough to go cross country". I will fly a 300 in it this year and the gold badge that has alluded me all these years will be mine." Nuff said!
For more details of John's adventures in his beloved K6, click on his smiling face!

K6 '558' visited Saltby after a really wonderful paint job. Weather allowed no soaring, but 558 stayed up longer than any other winch launch that day. Glider is now owned by Kim Smith and flown by his daughter Steph..and she appears to be called "Bymbo"...(the glider, not Steph!)

'DEP', much loved but little washed K6 based at Saltby, here being made ready for the first day of the Interclub league. The day got scrubbed, which was more than the glider. When the glider gets a polish I will take a better picture!

"Does my bum look big in this?" Sarah, belle of Saltby and chief hogger of 'DEP' sent me this picture and says "Did you have to say how dirty it was, it looks clean in the photo, now people at work are laughing at me." Thanks Sarah, always good to debate the finer points of gliding!

'FNP', a very shiny glider, being further polished for the same Interclub meeting. That's what I call crew. They will soon learn the ropes, drinking tea and eating bacon sarnies instead. Belongs to Nottingham University. They did lend DEP (above) their bucket and sponge though.

Beautiful K6 called Beryl, owned by Derek Heaton. In his words..."I have a Ka6CR reg BYL known in the club as Beryl. I fly out of Staffordshire G C we have 1 other Cr and 2 E's in the club. During our last soaring week only the 2 CR's completed a 159k O/R task to Shobden--- say no more. So far I have got silver and 2 parts of Gold in Beryl, only the 300k to go. Last Sunday managed 213k, my best yet. One of our 6E pilots completed his 300k at a recent BGA soaring course at the tender age of 75!"...all good SIFOW stuff!
Since that Beryl has had a new coat of paint. Derek says "After approx 140 man hours of work she is again flying - the rest of the club are complaining that they are having to buy darker sunglasses -- I don't understand this as most of them only get to see the underside!"

'I-BRAN' - proof that Italian K6E's keep you going! Carlo Guasco sent this photo of his well polished K6-e. This has to be one of the best registrations of all time, thanks Carlo.

Flower Power. And yes, this is a Californian K6, thanks to Scott Baber for this fantastic picture. I think flowers could be a good direction to take UK glider sites...much nicer than mud and slightly too long grass and it would make the site stand out from the air better!

This picture show Andrew Turk preparing to do a 300k flight from Saltby - "Only managed 277km but my best flight yet in a wonderful glider. It has a competition number D41 an abbreviation of the old German registration D4112. I think this provided fewer opportunities for comments than the UK registration (JEW) given at the time of importation."

Ian Pattingale bought "a 1958 L-Spatz for the princely sum of Ł900 including trailer. It doesn't go too far (K8 and a bit performance) but it will outclimb most other A/C at 32kts and I spent a happy hour or three up and down the ridges at Sutton Bank and Camphill. For the sort of flying I do this type of machine is ideal and at Ł105 a year for insurance it's the cheapest flying I'll ever do. It does make me chuckle when I see people spending more on instruments than I have for a complete aeroplane (what a way to beat the system) "...respect.

Hi -I was the previous owner of Cat Stevens BG135 at Lee. I owned the aircraft for several years and refinished it in its present colours. Having visited your website for the first time I checked my logbook for my flights in the BG. Nearly 4000 km flown in it with four flights of over 200km ,two flights of over 300km and a whole ton of fun!
Regards Keith Walton (sadly now flying open class)

Glider from Brian Goodspeed; I have attached the Skylark picture. The original invoice is dated 5th April 1961. It sat in its' trailer for 7 years, passed the C of A after a wash and vac and this pic shows the condition it is in! No wonder we smile when we fly it!

BGA 985. Callsign BHQ.

Our beloved ECF, a proven cross country machine flown by Simon Buckley, Rob Corbin, Richard Seiry and Mark Verden, who collectively form the rough end of the Cotswold Gliding Club at Aston Down. Charlie Foxtrot was built in 1960 and she flies just beautifully. All the flying surfaces have been recovered and repainted and next winter 03/04 we intend to do the fuselage and add the graphics. During 2002 the People's Air Force managed a couple of 250k flights, a 300k for a first Diamond, an out and return of 120k for Silver distance and visited lots of farmers.

The Pilatus.. to metal what the K6 is to wood. As George Sanderson says "I have just bought this pretty looking Pilatus. Only had a few flights in it so far. I reckon it's another candidate for the SIFOW ethos.

At least I can sell it for Pedigree Chum cans if it ever wears out which is more than you can say for a G/F or wood job.

A mystery K6e that appeared at a recent task week, flew the biggest XC of the day and then was never seen again...turns out to be a visiting pilot from Kirton-in-Lindsey named Gordon Bowes. Got his picture taken as he said he liked the web site...(note the high entry criteria to get added to sifow.com!) 'I had a couple of days off work so my good friend and motivational guru John Kitchen said "get your backside down to Saltby they've got a task week on"'....nuff said

Beautiful Club Libelle from the Isle of Wight. Owned by Terry and Jim who strangly let me fly it for a hour. Wonderful trailing edge airbrakes, you just set them on the approach and then get your sandwiches out until it has landed itself! Gel coat is Glasflugel asteroid stuff too! Currently for sale..click for more details.

Two requests for a Skylark 3 to be included; 'Sarah' says "My boyfriend owns a Slingsby Skylark 3b I think this should be considered for a sifow glider, it needs at least five people with GOOD backs to rig, big glider handling with a slow rate of roll, leaves the glass standing in small weak thermals. Here's a picture of my boyfriends skylark BCP".
In a separate e-mail from someone called 'Jack' (who admits to being '18 and clean shaven') he says "Although I realise that 18.2 metres of span is a little large I think this adds grace and elegance. This is the reason for not including the Skylark 2! With the bubble style canopy it does look rather pretty and much more destinctive in a line of other tupperware 'super-ships'! The next point is that they were and still are cheap. One can buy good a skylark 3 now for about Ł3000 and it is (I am told) a serious 300k machine. Back when they were designed and built (circa 1956), the skylark 3 managed to incorporate good performance with materials that were strong and easy to repair (at home in a garage not in an expensive workshop somewhere in Hampshire) for a very good price. Are You convinced yet?"

Yes, I'm convinced, convinced that if 'Sarah' and 'Jack' are indeed an item, they need to communicate more about the e-mails they send...and if they are not an item, wouldn't they make a great couple!

Mike Ziaskas from San Diego says;

Here's a few shots of the Apis 13 that I built from a kit. The kit itself was a mess but once I got it finished I found that it climbed well and was a delight to fly. One exception is that the wing are so stiff (none stiffer I believe) that it becomes a nasty ride in rotor or shear turbulence. I have confor foam in my hat now. Performance is decent though I would put the L/D closer to 36. I've put in 600, 500 and numerous 300 km flights on it (OLC rules) but this is the Western USA--no big deal.

"Betsy", my old K6cr. Here flown by Andy Kirkland in the Juniors...I forget where he finished! Now gone to the Stratford-on-Avon club with new owner Bryn Floyd. Betsy is going wave flying in the Yorkshire 'mountains' soon, so watch above for a red and cream speck in the distance!
In the words of the owner John Kitchen; "My wife and I own the most wonderful K6cr 'EPW', it really is the dogs gonads. We have owned it for 13 years and love it. I`ve flown all my silver in it and gold height we regularly take it on cross country excursions from Kirton Lindsey when the Nimbus 2 and Lak12 brigade claim that " it`s just not good enough to go cross country". I will fly a 300 in it this year and the gold badge that has alluded me all these years will be mine." Nuff said! For more details of John's adventures in his beloved K6, click on his smiling face!
K6 '558' visited Saltby after a really wonderful paint job. Weather allowed no soaring, but 558 stayed up longer than any other winch launch that day. Glider is now owned by Kim Smith and flown by his daughter Steph..and she appears to be called "Bymbo"...(the glider, not Steph!)
'DEP', much loved but little washed K6 based at Saltby, here being made ready for the first day of the Interclub league. The day got scrubbed, which was more than the glider. When the glider gets a polish I will take a better picture!
"Does my bum look big in this?" Sarah, belle of Saltby and chief hogger of 'DEP' sent me this picture and says "Did you have to say how dirty it was, it looks clean in the photo, now people at work are laughing at me." Thanks Sarah, always good to debate the finer points of gliding!
'FNP', a very shiny glider, being further polished for the same Interclub meeting. That's what I call crew. They will soon learn the ropes, drinking tea and eating bacon sarnies instead. Belongs to Nottingham University. They did lend DEP (above) their bucket and sponge though.
Beautiful K6 called Beryl, owned by Derek Heaton. In his words..."I have a Ka6CR reg BYL known in the club as Beryl. I fly out of Staffordshire G C we have 1 other Cr and 2 E's in the club. During our last soaring week only the 2 CR's completed a 159k O/R task to Shobden--- say no more. So far I have got silver and 2 parts of Gold in Beryl, only the 300k to go. Last Sunday managed 213k, my best yet. One of our 6E pilots completed his 300k at a recent BGA soaring course at the tender age of 75!"...all good SIFOW stuff! Since that Beryl has had a new coat of paint. Derek says "After approx 140 man hours of work she is again flying - the rest of the club are complaining that they are having to buy darker sunglasses -- I don't understand this as most of them only get to see the underside!"
'I-BRAN' - proof that Italian K6E's keep you going! Carlo Guasco sent this photo of his well polished K6-e. This has to be one of the best registrations of all time, thanks Carlo.
Flower Power. And yes, this is a Californian K6, thanks to Scott Baber for this fantastic picture. I think flowers could be a good direction to take UK glider sites...much nicer than mud and slightly too long grass and it would make the site stand out from the air better!
This picture show Andrew Turk preparing to do a 300k flight from Saltby - "Only managed 277km but my best flight yet in a wonderful glider. It has a competition number D41 an abbreviation of the old German registration D4112. I think this provided fewer opportunities for comments than the UK registration (JEW) given at the time of importation."
Ian Pattingale bought "a 1958 L-Spatz for the princely sum of Ł900 including trailer. It doesn't go too far (K8 and a bit performance) but it will outclimb most other A/C at 32kts and I spent a happy hour or three up and down the ridges at Sutton Bank and Camphill. For the sort of flying I do this type of machine is ideal and at Ł105 a year for insurance it's the cheapest flying I'll ever do. It does make me chuckle when I see people spending more on instruments than I have for a complete aeroplane (what a way to beat the system) "...respect.
Hi -I was the previous owner of Cat Stevens BG135 at Lee. I owned the aircraft for several years and refinished it in its present colours. Having visited your website for the first time I checked my logbook for my flights in the BG. Nearly 4000 km flown in it with four flights of over 200km ,two flights of over 300km and a whole ton of fun! Regards Keith Walton (sadly now flying open class)
Glider from Brian Goodspeed; I have attached the Skylark picture. The original invoice is dated 5th April 1961. It sat in its' trailer for 7 years, passed the C of A after a wash and vac and this pic shows the condition it is in! No wonder we smile when we fly it! BGA 985. Callsign BHQ.
Our beloved ECF, a proven cross country machine flown by Simon Buckley, Rob Corbin, Richard Seiry and Mark Verden, who collectively form the rough end of the Cotswold Gliding Club at Aston Down. Charlie Foxtrot was built in 1960 and she flies just beautifully. All the flying surfaces have been recovered and repainted and next winter 03/04 we intend to do the fuselage and add the graphics. During 2002 the People's Air Force managed a couple of 250k flights, a 300k for a first Diamond, an out and return of 120k for Silver distance and visited lots of farmers.
The Pilatus.. to metal what the K6 is to wood. As George Sanderson says "I have just bought this pretty looking Pilatus. Only had a few flights in it so far. I reckon it's another candidate for the SIFOW ethos. At least I can sell it for Pedigree Chum cans if it ever wears out which is more than you can say for a G/F or wood job.
A mystery K6e that appeared at a recent task week, flew the biggest XC of the day and then was never seen again...turns out to be a visiting pilot from Kirton-in-Lindsey named Gordon Bowes. Got his picture taken as he said he liked the web site...(note the high entry criteria to get added to sifow.com!) 'I had a couple of days off work so my good friend and motivational guru John Kitchen said "get your backside down to Saltby they've got a task week on"'....nuff said
Beautiful Club Libelle from the Isle of Wight. Owned by Terry and Jim who strangly let me fly it for a hour. Wonderful trailing edge airbrakes, you just set them on the approach and then get your sandwiches out until it has landed itself! Gel coat is Glasflugel asteroid stuff too! Currently for sale..click for more details.
Two requests for a Skylark 3 to be included; 'Sarah' says "My boyfriend owns a Slingsby Skylark 3b I think this should be considered for a sifow glider, it needs at least five people with GOOD backs to rig, big glider handling with a slow rate of roll, leaves the glass standing in small weak thermals. Here's a picture of my boyfriends skylark BCP". In a separate e-mail from someone called 'Jack' (who admits to being '18 and clean shaven') he says "Although I realise that 18.2 metres of span is a little large I think this adds grace and elegance. This is the reason for not including the Skylark 2! With the bubble style canopy it does look rather pretty and much more destinctive in a line of other tupperware 'super-ships'! The next point is that they were and still are cheap. One can buy good a skylark 3 now for about Ł3000 and it is (I am told) a serious 300k machine. Back when they were designed and built (circa 1956), the skylark 3 managed to incorporate good performance with materials that were strong and easy to repair (at home in a garage not in an expensive workshop somewhere in Hampshire) for a very good price. Are You convinced yet?" Yes, I'm convinced, convinced that if 'Sarah' and 'Jack' are indeed an item, they need to communicate more about the e-mails they send...and if they are not an item, wouldn't they make a great couple!
Mike Ziaskas from San Diego says; Here's a few shots of the Apis 13 that I built from a kit. The kit itself was a mess but once I got it finished I found that it climbed well and was a delight to fly. One exception is that the wing are so stiff (none stiffer I believe) that it becomes a nasty ride in rotor or shear turbulence. I have confor foam in my hat now. Performance is decent though I would put the L/D closer to 36. I've put in 600, 500 and numerous 300 km flights on it (OLC rules) but this is the Western USA--no big deal.