History
Formed originally as No 68 Gliding School at Bridgend in December 1944, moving early the following year to Stormy Down, then to RAF St Athan in 1947, the unit was re-designated No 634 Volunteer Gliding School (VGS) in 1955.
The school continued to operate at St Athan until 1963 when, following an unfortunate incident in which a radar scanner was damaged by a cable during a launch (the scanner was actually lifted out of the ground) all gliding was suspended by a rather unsympathetic OC Flying.
The school was reformed at Fairwood Common, Swansea but was accepted back at St Athan in 1964. Only part of the school returned to St Athan, however, as the remainder stayed at Swansea to form 636 VGS.
Task
634 VGS is tasked with providing gliding training for the Air Cadets of No 1 Welsh Wing ATC and 6 adjacent Sqns from No 3 Welsh Wing, in addition to the CCF cadets from Christ College, Brecon, (a total of around 900 cadets). Operating at weekends and Bank Holidays, with a continuous course during Whitsun week, the school has carried out over 3000 conventional glider flights every year. Between 20 and 30 cadets are trained to Gliding Scholarship (GS) standard, with a further 200, or so, given Gliding Induction Courses (GIC) each year. Until the late 1980s the school took 12 CCF cadets for the Whitsun course, but with a reduction in capability due to increased usage of the airspace by front line service aircraft undergoing test flying and heavy civil traffic from the nearby rapidly expanding regional airport, this is no longer possible. With the recent conversion to motor-gliders, and the attendant airspace restrictions, the future task has yet to be determined.
Output
A good number of cadets passing through the school enter the services, mainly the RAF, with several currently flying as aircrew in a variety of roles. Others have taken up flying careers in the civilian world and staff cadets continue to progress to airline flying from the school. Perhaps the most notable cadet ever to have been trained at 634 VGS was the late Neil Williams, who was World Aerobatic Champion during the 1970s.
Location
RAF St Athan is situated approximately 16 miles West of Cardiff, between Barry and Llantwit Major, and is easily reached by bus from the Central Bus Station in Cardiff.
During the Winter and Spring, the airfield is shared at weekends with the University of Wales Air Squadron, who fly Grob Tutors, and there is a good spirit of friendly co-operation on both sides.
The airfield also lies within the Class D airspace of Cardiff International Airport (formerly Rhoose airport) control zone and flying comes under the overall control of Cardiff ATC, with local control from St Athan ATC when the Tutors are flying. Again, there is good liaison and co-operation between St Athan and Cardiff ATC.
Commanding Officers
The earliest records of the school’s Commanding Officers start with Sqn Ldr C F Hunt, whose period of office ended in July 1959. His date of appointment has not been traced.
Unfortunately, the one person who could have supplied a complete history in great detail was the late Flt Lt Pete Bullivant of ACCGS, who had the honour of instructing Prince Andrew to gain a gliding proficiency and who was an instructor with 634 VGS before becoming a full time instructor.
Other Commanding Officers are as follows:
| Flt Lt R V Gardiner |
Aug 1959 - Mar 1962 |
|---|---|
| Flt Lt D Garner |
Apr 1962 - Mar 1969 |
| Flt Lt J G L McIntosh |
Apr 1969 - Jul 1988 |
| Sqn Ldr J E Mead |
Jul 1988 - Mar 1996 |
| Sqn Ldr E D Griffith |
Apr 1996 - Present |
Aircraft
Originally, as 68 GS the school was equipped with 1 Falconi - VD161, 1 Cadet Mk 1 - RB136, 1 Cadet Mk 2 - VM639, 1 Sedbergh - WB928, 1 Kirby Kite - VD21 8, and 1 Kirby Tutor - VD171.
Later as 634 VGS, the school operated 1 Sedbergh - WB947 and 2 Kirby Cadet Mk 2s - XA289 and XA308. In the early 1980s the Cadets were replaced with Sedberghs - WB 973, WB983 and XN151.
Re-equipped in July 1986 with Grob G103 Viking 2 seat GRP gliders - ZE558, ZE589 and ZE590, the school also replaced its Eagle winch with an ML diesel 2 drum winch initially, before the fleet wide upgrade to 6 drum Munster van Gelder winches. Over the intervening years, the original Vikings were replaced and the school finally operated ZE496, ZE522, ZE534 and ZE627 until March 2003. During the Spring of 1999 the school was loaned the ASW19 Valiant single seater ZD657 for staff conversion.
In March 2003, DARA commenced development of a super hangar on the 90 acre field which had served the school as its landing area for so long. As a result, the school was no longer able to draw out winch cables across the field, preventing further use of conventional gliders at St Athan. Grob G109 Vigilant motor gliders were obtained for the school and its instructors and pilots started conversion to the new type in July 2003. Two aircraft, ZH205 and ZH209 were delivered to the school during the same month.
Other Events
Until the early 1980s, the school regularly took part in the St Athan “Open Days”, at first giving flying displays in the school’s Sedberghs and latterly, with an aerotow flypast in a Viking. Additionally, school’s aircraft were usually on static display for the public to see. However, with the demise of Open Days at St Athan, the opportunity to bask in the public gaze has diminished. Nevertheless, a short documentary on Air Cadet activities locally was made by BBC Wales, which included filming a simulated glider launch at the school because the wind was too strong for the real thing!
With the Halesland soaring site no longer available from the turn of the 1980s, between 1990 and 2002, members of the school went on summer detachment to Portmoak, in Scotland, for advanced gliding opportunities and this was seen as an excellent training ground for staff cadets and junior instructors to build up their flying skills and airmanship.
Until recently located in a new headquarters building at the rear of the UWAS hangar, the school now occupies what it is hoped will be temporary accommodation in a portacabin near the UWAS HQ. However, overnight accommodation and improved administrative facilities continue to be sought in order to bring a period of stability to the school's renaissance as the provider of flying training for the air cadets of South East Wales.
Green Endorsement
A past member of staff is believed to be the first volunteer pilot to be awarded the RAF Green Endorsement for over 20 years, Lt Dan Griffith RA(V) recovered his aircraft after a control restriction during the launch, thereby saving his life, that of his first-time-flyer passenger and a valuable aircraft.