Unidentified Prufling glider at Sutton Bank.
During the national gliding competition held at Sutton Bank in September 1934 the Yorkshire Gliding Club treasurer drove over a Prufling glider owned by Mr Len Hatcher of the Southdown Gliding Club which damaged the wing. The week long event began on 1st September 1934. Mr Hatcher is not listed in the Sailplane and Glider magazine report as having made any flights during the event so this incident probably occurred toward the start of the week.
Pilot - Nil.
Leonard Hatcher's son Richard has recorded some of his father's gliding memories from which I draw some information on other mishaps in Yorkshire. He damaged a Kirby Tutor skid on landing at Sutton Bank during an RAF gliding course at which he was probably an instructor, this narrowly missed the hanger and occurred a week after an officer was killed. Another flight at Sutton Bank was made with John Furlong when a sheep became entangled on the winch cable on launch and was dragged into the air. Once the glider was at 1000 feet above the ground it was noticed that the sheep was dangling below them some 2-300 feet above the ground. They gently descended to allow the sheep to reach the ground before casting off and the sheep ran off. Perhaps the first sheep to fly from Sutton Bank.