UBC Thunderbird Gliding and Soaring Club

Photograph

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Canadian Soaring Archive

"The Three C's of B.C."; left to right Don Page, Don Jacques, Mike Skubay: "Thunderbird Gliding & Soaring Club, UBC, summer 1949, at Sumas Prairie looking N.W." [east of Abbotsford, BC]
"The Three C's of B.C."; left to right Don Page, Don Jacques, Mike Skubay

"Thunderbird Gliding & Soaring Club, UBC, summer 1949, at Sumas Prairie looking N.W." [east of Abbotsford, BC]

Name/Title

UBC Thunderbird Gliding and Soaring Club

Entry/Object ID

2026-03-047

Description

The Thunderbird Gliding and Soaring Club was formed by students and staff at the University of British Columbia, with completion of a Northrup primary glider in 1946 after two years of work. The club flew their primary glider from Boundary Bay Airport and Sumas Prairie, in 1946 and 1948. In 1947, the Thunderbird club was selected by the National Research Council to receive one of the three Grunau Babies seized by Canada as "war prizes" for research purposes. The glider was trailered from Ottawa to Vancouver [see photos in entry 2026-03-048 Grunau Baby CF-ZBD], rebuilt over the winter, and flown during the 1948 season, damaged in 1949. Thunderbird club assets were absorbed by the Gulf Gliding Club in 1950.