After 1961, soaring in Greece was limited in the military airport of Tatoi in the north
of Athens.
The Cavka and Roda gliders were abandoned in favor of two Bocian trainers and a Mucha.
These arrived in Athens in 1961.
Instructors were turning to other jobs to make a living. When the Aeroclub of Athens
started an airplane pilot school, our main and last instructor of the period S.Panagotas
turned to airplane flying, in order to survive.
From 1965 to 1970 soaring in Greece is almost non existing.
A Cavka during an air-show, around 1961 in Tatoi airport. Student is A.Brelis.
Instructor P.Tsakoniatis and student C.Pikros in the Bocian.
Tsakoniatis and Pikros again.
One of the two Bocians. The airport was military and had, at the time, a strict policy against cameras. No many photos of the period survive.
Take off of the Bocian by winch.
A.Brelis in the Muha.
1963 In the hangar with the Bocian, from the left:
1.C.Pikros, 4.Instructor P.Tsakoniatis.
After the cockpit: 1.A.Brelis, 2.S.Skliris, 4.S.Kokkotas, 6.M.Paidiotakis.
Launching in the 60ies was by winch. Very few air-tows were done. Tow plane was the Boeing-Stearman, former mosquito-fighter of the war against malaria. It consumed a lot of fuel, but that was no problem, as we still had free fuel from the Air Force.
By the end of the decade C.Pikros and P.Kourouvakalis pose by the unused tow-plane. In 1970 they both obtained their airplane license, to be abandoned soon as soaring revived.