Woman Lands Plunging Glider

Press, Volume CI, Issue 30007, 17 December 1962, Page 12

Woman Lands Plunging Glider

(New Zealand Press Association)

NELSON, December 16

Making her second forced landing within a fortnight, a Canadian pilot, Mrs L. V. de Blicquy, guided an Olympia glider—plunging from 150 ft with its dive brakes wrongly extended—on to the rocky breakwater of Nelson harbour on Saturday afternoon and stepped out unhurt.

Watching anxiously from overhead —at the controls of the tow-plane—was her husband, Mr R. de Blicquy. a helicopter pilot. While under tow, the glider had refused to gain height. Mrs de Blicquy realised something was wrong and released the tow-rope. The glider plunged, but Mrs de Blicquy landed it on the harbour side of the boulder bank. One wingtip and part of the wing were slightly damaged. The belly of the glider was barely marked. Brakes Unlocked The dive brakes of the glider were not locked into position before the take-off from Nelson airport and came

out as the glider was towed into the air. The ground crew noticed this and the control tower called up Mr de Blicquy by wireless. However, he was unable to make it clear to his wife what the trouble was. About a fortnight ago Mrs de Blicquy had to make a forced landing at Waikanae when the Auster aircraft she was piloting lost its propeller. The day before, her husband lost his personal possessions when a helicopter supply truck ■ caught fire at Westhaven inlet after drums of petrol and spray chemical exploded.