1.
SV Cockpit cover fixed on glider
0.04

2.
SCU Mr. Goodhart of British team in cockpit
0.08

3.
SV Gliders into position
0.11

4.
LV PAN..Gliders towed off by DO-27 aircraft
0.26

5.
SV PAN..Towing plane and glider in flight
0.30

6.
SV Spectators
0.33

7.
LV PAN..Glider towed off
0.54

8.
SCU Rear of pilot's head as seen in glider cockpit
0.58

9.
AERIAL V..Spectators
0.60

10.
AERIAL V..DO-27 aircraft on ground
1.04

11.
AERIAL V..Gliders lined up on runaway
1.10

12.
AERIAL V. Butzweiler Hof Airfield
1.15



Initials KJ/V/WS/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Teams from Europe, Africa, the Far East and the Americas were assembled at Cologne's Butzweiler Hof airfield, June 4, for the opening of the World Gliding Championships.

Scheduled for a period of two weeks, the championships started with a 2-hour navigation flight from Cologne to Koblenz and back. Among starters in the open class were last year's world champion E.G. Haase of West Germany, A.J.Drummond of Britain, and R.H.Johnson, USA; G.A.J. Goodhart took off in the standard class. Competitors had used to the previous two days for preliminary practice runs.

Arranged in a double line on the airstrip, gliders were towed up into the air by DO-27 aircraft of the West German air force. During Championship flights the sailplanes will reach altitudes of about 2,500 feet.

By the time the championships got under way, the list of entrants was somewhat depleted. The whole Russian entry of three pilots - including Victor Ilchenko who has held the world distance record for two-seat gliders for the past seven years - was withdrawn for "technical reasons". Other eastern countries decided to follow suit, Canadian pilot gordon Oates has been unable to negotiate the loan of a sailplane in Germany.