More M40 Flying!

[Big Hilly]

Big Hilly and Mrs Big Hilly were trundling up the M40 again last Friday to visit a chum. When, at about 19:30 we passed the Bicester Gliding Site and I have to say, I witnessed one glider performing some of the most incredible flying I have seen in a long time.

Now, I’m full of admiration for ANYONE who knowingly goes up in an aircraft without an engine but this person was doing things that I didn’t believe possible without a donk strapped on. I saw it just for a fleeting minute or so as we passed but by God, was I impressed!

So, can I just say to whoever it was: Thank you for making a ‘Friday Night Trudge’ out of London considerably more bearable?

Best wishes,

BH

[surely not]

The glider display at Shoreham every year is also full of interesting aeros as it gets flung around the sky. Amazing stuff.

[javelin]

Wanna see good sailplane aeros.........................

Check this guy out, he is awesome !

http://www.radiusairshows.com/main/

[smallpilot]

Big Hilly - I passed the same spot at about 20.30 and was also impressed with the glider flying. Quite a few hot-air balloons around too....

[Big Hilly]

Wow javelin,

That could almost tempt me to get in an aircraft without an engine. . . . . :D ;)

Just out of interest, how many people on here are glider pilots and do you prefer 'non-donk' to 'donk' flying?

BH

[Skylark4]

If it was at 20:30 on a Friday evening around the M40/A34 Junction, then it would have been a glider from The Oxford Gliding Club at Weston-on-the-Green. We run Group Evenings on Fridays during the 'Summer' where a group from a local business or club or even just a group of friends, come along for a 'Trial Lesson', get an introduction to Gliding and have a BBQ afterwards. If there is time, second trips are offered and, after the first brave soul has asked if they could go 'upside-down', many of the second timers opt for an aerobatic trip.
In many ways, glider aerobatics are more interesting than power. You get a much better feel for what the aircraft is doing without all that noise and clatter up front. Spins are just that bit slower so that you can appreciate them all the more. ( The ground still goes around and around and gets closer at an alarming rate though).
Individual trial lessons or Mini Courses are available at any time but, normally, must be booked in advance otherwise we can end up not flying our own club members. We are an entirely volunteer run club operating weekend only except for the 'Flying Fortnight' in August.
Web Site at:-http://www.logico.f9.co.uk/OGC/index%20lower.htm

Mike W

Edited to add:-
Don't think that gliders are inferior by the way, Modern gliders put powered aircraft to shame and the fact that there is no engine does not make them too simple for a 'real pilot' to contemplate. Glider or power, neither is better, both are just different.
M.

[Big Hilly]

Thanks for that Mike, may well give you guys a call. As I said, was seriously impressed . . . .

BH

[treadigraph]

I've also enjoyed the Glider aeros at Shoreham (is that a Foka?), hope he will be there this year... And the RAFGSA formation routine at Old Warden.

Anyone else remember the German team with a pair of gliders at Biggin in the late 1980s - think the type was LO-8 or similar. The finale was a formation very low level inverted pass!

[engineless john]

The Shoreham display is flown by Guy Westgate, who has been UK national glider aerobatics champion a few times. The glider is an MDM Fox.

[Warped Factor]

For some excellent gliding footage I would've said buy a copy of this DVD (http://www.smokinvid.co.uk/).

But it looks like they're sold out :(