Looking for two British pilots who towed across Atlantic 65 years ago

[Dave Newill]

Any of our British friends know if either R G Seyes or F M Gobeil are
still around? 65 years ago in June, they piloted a Troop / Cargo
glider from Montreal Canada to Preswick Scotland as an experiment in
shipping these D-Day Silent Wings machines from the USA to UK.
Apparently the 6-7 hours ( per leg) of hand flying on tow over the
North Atlantic were determined to be too difficult and the flight was
not repeated.

If either of these heroic gentlemen are still with us - we should find
them and celebrate their flight this summer!

[raulb]

Good idea.

BTW, did you know that there is a piece of the rope and some photos at
the Museum of Army Flying, in Middle Wallop, England?


\On Mar 21, 9:14*am, Dave Newill > wrote:
> Any of our British friends know if either R G Seyes or F M Gobeil are
> still around? 65 years ago in June, they piloted a Troop / Cargo
> glider from Montreal Canada to Preswick Scotland as an experiment in
> shipping these D-Day Silent Wings machines from the USA to UK.
> Apparently the 6-7 hours ( per leg) of hand flying on tow over the
> North Atlantic were determined to be too difficult and the flight was
> not repeated.
>
> If either of these heroic gentlemen are still with us - we should find
> them and celebrate their flight this summer!

[haven]

On Mar 21, 3:39*pm, raulb > wrote:
> Good idea.
>
> BTW, did you know that there is a piece of the rope and some photos at
> the Museum of Army Flying, in Middle Wallop, England?
>
> \On Mar 21, 9:14*am, Dave Newill > wrote:
>
> > Any of our British friends know if either R G Seyes or F M Gobeil are
> > still around? 65 years ago in June, they piloted a Troop / Cargo
> > glider from Montreal Canada to Preswick Scotland as an experiment in
> > shipping these D-Day Silent Wings machines from the USA to UK.
> > Apparently the 6-7 hours ( per leg) of hand flying on tow over the
> > North Atlantic were determined to be too difficult and the flight was
> > not repeated.
>
> > If either of these heroic gentlemen are still with us - we should find
> > them and celebrate their flight this summer!

Ironic, this post, as I just aerotowed a 2-32 from Hollister, CA to
Williams, CA and back. I have been reading Steven Ambrose's, "Pegasus
Bridge", about the DDay British Glider assault at midnight! Those
Horsas were big birds. I suppose it was a Waco these guys were towing.

[Dave Newill]

On Mar 21, 6:39*pm, raulb > wrote:
> Good idea.
>
> BTW, did you know that there is a piece of the rope and some photos at
> the Museum of Army Flying, in Middle Wallop, England?

I have visited most UK aero museums - but did not know about that one!
Will try to google it.
Thanks!
>
> \On Mar 21, 9:14*am, Dave Newill > wrote:
>
>
>
> > Any of our British friends know if either R G Seyes or F M Gobeil are
> > still around? 65 years ago in June, they piloted a Troop / Cargo
> > glider from Montreal Canada to Preswick Scotland as an experiment in
> > shipping these D-Day Silent Wings machines from the USA to UK.
> > Apparently the 6-7 hours ( per leg) of hand flying on tow over the
> > North Atlantic were determined to be too difficult and the flight was
> > not repeated.
>
> > If either of these heroic gentlemen are still with us - we should find
> > them and celebrate their flight this summer!- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Mike Lindsay]

In article
s.com>, Dave Newill > writes
>Any of our British friends know if either R G Seyes or F M Gobeil are
>still around? 65 years ago in June, they piloted a Troop / Cargo
>glider from Montreal Canada to Preswick Scotland as an experiment in
>shipping these D-Day Silent Wings machines from the USA to UK.
>Apparently the 6-7 hours ( per leg) of hand flying on tow over the
>North Atlantic were determined to be too difficult and the flight was
>not repeated.
>
>If either of these heroic gentlemen are still with us - we should find
>them and celebrate their flight this summer!

I don't know either of these two, but one of the members at our club was
in the Glider Pilot Regiment and I'll ask him next time I see him. He
keeps in touch with the old team, such of them that have survived, and I
expect he'll know them.

When he first appeared at the club he told us the last time he flew a
glider was at Arnhem. He was taken prisoner but escaped. He must be
about 85 now.
--
Mike Lindsay