Christchurch and District Model Flying Club
 

PROFILE OF A FLIER—TERRY ANTELL

By the Chairman

My father was an avid modeller during the 1940s & 1950s. He made and flew Free Flight A2 gliders using balsa wood covered in tissue and dope. Occasionally very fine thin silk was also used. Models were powered by small diesel engines, running for 7 seconds where upon the aircraft went into pure gliding. After 3 minutes the de-thermaliser activated causing the model to return to earth in a fairly flat spin.

I always went with him in his Austin Seven and latterly his Aston Martin DB4! My job was to be a fetcher. This was usually on Chobham Common and occasionally Runnymede.

Being born in 1944 I only experienced Free Flight or Control Line aeromodelling. Power was mainly diesel, slope soaring meant a lot of hunting down wind after a launch!

I lived in Wraysbury, Bucks, near Staines, Middlesex. My education was all in an infants’ school as the second World War had curtailed all school construction work, plus many existing buildings had been seriously damaged. The school, designed for 150, held 360 pupils of all age groups.

I remember food shortages and rationing. Football wasn’t for me, so, for a punishment I was told to do Domestic Science with the girls. Hey, this was great. In the warm with home cooked food and lots of girls. Schools did not suffer rationing so cakes and pastries could be made. Music was another love. At aged 13 years I was awarded 6 months vocal training in the choir at Windsor Cloisters and I had a loud high pitched voice in those days. (??Ed)

1959 I left school and was taken on as an apprenticed plumber with a company in Egham, Surrey. Continuing an interest in music I joined a Rock Group as lead singer. For this I had to go for an audition with 4 other people. After 6 weeks of practice the group changed its name to Terry & The Meteors. All this while still working was a real strain at times. I had become diabetic at age 15 so injections and watching all food intake wasn’t easy.

Eventually the group performed in Bournemouth, backing better known artistes like, Billy Fury. We completed two summer seasons performing just on Friday & Saturdays evenings.

In 1965 I decided to try an entry exam at the School of Surgical Chiropody, Leatherhead. Fortunately I had money from my earlier exploits in the rock group, so upon being accepted I could pay my way through the medical school. My eventual pass rate was 97%. I was now a Surgical Chiropodist. Unfortunately the income was quite poor in the NHS, far worse than being a plumber. I ran a visiting practice but really needed my own surgery. Money again was the problem and I could not afford to start my own surgery.

Jean & I married in 1968 and bought a house at Ascot. I started a small plumbing business with 4 employees. Things went downhill in early 1970. This was the first big recession and the company folded. During this period flying models wasn’t a priority. Modelling during the 1960’s. My first real 4 channel Tx/Rx was a McGregor Galloping Ghost set. I paid £240 for this in 1966 (about £2000 in today’s money.) Besides many other second hand sets, all being Reeds or bang-bang push button types, none of which came close to today’s excellent equipment.

1970 I bought a McGregor 4 channel set that really gave proportional control. (Wee Macgregor in Control was their advertising slogan) Along with a 110” Sailman glider it cost £200! This model was a dream to fly because of proportional controls.

The Sailman was a balsa wood kit, yes, you had to actually built on a plan with cut-out parts supplied.

This is it—the Bowman “Simple Sailman” 110” glider. This one is electric powered.—Ed

Next time I’ll complete my exploits! And add a few photos.

Back Home

[Home] [Chairman's Chatter] [Editorial] [Brian Wiseman] [Profile] [Sep BIMBO] [Guppy RIP] [Floats on a Gull] [Caption Comp]