Windrushers Gliding Club (RAFGSA Bicester)

[Windrusher]

Happy news, just received... :D

[Press release:]
Windrushers Gliding Club is pleased to announce that terms have been agreed with ATIS REAL Weatheralls, agents acting for Defence Estates, for a 3 year lease of Bicester Airfield, which remains Ministry of Defence property.

Windrushers Gliding Club was originally formed in 1958 at RAF Little Rissington and then moved to RAF Bicester before co-locating with the Royal Air Force Gliding and Soaring Association Centre that was created at Bicester in 1963.

After 41 years at Bicester the RAF Gliding and Soaring Association is moving its operation to RAF Halton near Aylesbury in June 2004.

RAF Bicester is deemed to be of historical importance by English Heritage as it comprises the best-preserved and most strongly representative of the bomber stations built as part of Sir Hugh Trenchard`s 1920s Home Defence Expansion Scheme. The late Lord Trenchard was one of the founders of the Royal Air Force.

Windrushers Gliding Club has been re-formed as a civilian club and will be open at Bicester Airfield from 1 July 2004.

Our aim is to continue a gliding operation at Bicester and to promote the sport of gliding within the Cherwell District community.

Further information via [email protected] or call in at Bicester airfield just off the Buckingham Road at any time after 1 July and follow the written instructions that will be displayed at the gate off Skimmingdish Lane.

http://windrushers.org.uk/r6_Bicester.gif

http://windrushers.org.uk/
Windrushers Gliding Club
Bicester Airfield
Bicester
Oxfordshire OX26 5HA

[Bre901]

Always good news when soaring can go up ! :ok: :ok:

[Mike Cross]

Excellent news!

Having visited in the Luscombe and experienced the delights of a beautifully smooth grass airfield are you going to be able to accept visitors and who do we contact for PPR?

Realise this may be a bit premature but it's a delightful place to visit on a fine day.

Mike

[FNG]

Very good news; hope it all goes well.

[Windrusher]

Dear Mike,

I'm sure that visitors with prior permission will be very welcome. I don't know how far plans have got for the new operation - there is talk of opening 7 days a week, and we should learn more this weekend - but the slogan 'visitors welcome' seems to be a central philosophy.

Contact phone numbers - given on the website (http://windrushers.org.uk) - are
Office: 01869 252493
Airfield Control: 0780 8212622
Fax: 01869 321167
The airfield frequency is 129.975 MHz.

Visitors should be aware that there may be cables up to at least 1500' agl and gliders in both right and left hand circuits. There are also noise-abatement restrictions, not yet posted on the new website but still given on the RAFGSA site http://www.rafgsa.org/ . The departure routes are shown below.

Please note that the airfield may well be closed for the 3-4 weeks from this weekend until the Windrushers start at the beginning of July.

Windrusher

http://home.clara.co.uk/rafgsa/abatement.gif

[Mike Cross]

Many thanks for that. Safely dropped into a Word document and filed in my Pooleys.

Best wishes, the site is a great asset.

Mike

[Windrusher]

Windrushers Gliding Club has just announced that it signed a 3 year lease of Bicester Airfield at midday today. The club, which has re-formed as a civilian operation, will be open from 1 July; the first flying day will be Saturday 3rd July.

:D There will be an open day on Saturday 24th July 2004. :D

For further information, the club may be contacted via [email protected] . Alternatively, see the website http://www.windrushers.org.uk or call in at Bicester airfield any time.

Windrushers Gliding Club was originally formed at RAF Little Rissington in 1958, and moved to Bicester to join the RAF Gliding and Soaring Association, which formed in 1963. After 41 years, the RAFGSA Centre (http://www.rafgsa.org) has moved to RAF Halton, near Aylesbury. In 1961 the British Pathe news agency made a film about gliding at Bicester entitled 'Gliders do a Farnborough', copies of which were republished and made generally available from their web site (http://www.britishpathe.com/product_display.cfm?searchfilm=Bicester&Search.x=23&Search.y=25).