1952 British RAF Cadets Flying “Eton” Glider – Eastbourne College Soaring Photograph & Press Release

Original 1952 press photograph capturing a remarkable moment in early postwar aviation training. The image shows RAF section cadets at Eastbourne College watching a classmate take flight in the “Eton” primary glider, WP268, during a Cadet Forces training session. The open-frame glider is dramatically caught midair against a treeline, with onlookers in uniform admiring the launch.

Accompanied by the original press release dated 14 February 1952, the reverse explains how sixty English and Scottish public schools began integrating practical glider training through the Air Training Corps. These young cadets assembled and flew their glider weekly on football pitches turned makeshift airfields, proudly earning their “A” and “B” gliding licenses.

A rare and visually compelling example of Britain’s early postwar aviation education, combining youth, innovation, and national defense training.