After he left the service, now the RAF, in 1920, he bought a partnership in a woodworking and furniture factory in Queen Street, Scarborough.
His first glider, in 1931, was a Falcon, which was a British version of the RRG Falke, built by Rhön-Rossitten Gesellschaft and designed by Alexander Lippisch.
Philip Wills and Fred Slingsby negotiated the lease of the land at Sutton Bank.
With the outbreak of World War II in 1939 Slingsby changed production, initially building rudders for the Avro Anson although they sold a few gliders for radar experiments.
With the Hengist and training glider orders along with the repairs and manufacturing of spare parts, the Slingsby company was kept busy throughout the war.