Peter John Teagle | 1931 - 2024

Peter joined Avro in Chadderton as a graduate Stress Engineer before working at Woodford on the design of the Vulcan, the Nimrod and the Avro 748. The highlight of his career was becoming Chief Project Engineer for upgrading the 748 to the ATP.

In the Avro Gliding Club Peter soon flew solo and became a gliding instructor. He rescued a Kranich from Sweden where it was about to be burned on grounds of glue failure. On the boat he had to sign a document to say he would help to push it overboard in case of a storm.

Back at Woodford he tested the two types of glue. The Black Kaurit was weaker than its specifications, but he calculated that it would be more than strong enough in view of the large glued areas. The Pink Kaurit (like icing sugar) had to be replaced. Peter also designed a belly release hook and a wheel replacement for the brutally heavy (and destructive) bouncing dolly and the original skid – but what do you do with twenty two 1943 vintage Swedish tennis balls? Peter shared his enthusiasm for gliding with his three-legged dog which is reputed on occasions to have accompanied him in the cockpit. Incidentally, Chris Wills fell in love with this Kranich having joined me in it to great effect in the 1972 Lasham Regionals and it was later to become his beloved VGC flagship.

Peter later imported and test flew a Wassmer Squale before acquiring a Slingsby Sky.

In retirement Peter worked voluntarily at the Avro Heritage Centre to restore the Avro 19 Srs II. With AHC friends he built replicas of an Avro Type F and the Avro Triplane.

Latterly Peter and his wife Nina lived in Thirsk near the Yorkshire Gliding Club. They had been married 64 years when Nina died in 2022. Peter leaves his son Chris and daughter-in-law Kelly, both glider pilots and son Nick who is a computing guru.

Peter was a highly gifted, no nonsense expert who gave generously of his time. He had a lively sense of humour, as we were reminded by  2 pages of Spike Milligan poems in the Order of Service.