5 day Gliding Course
 

hi all,
a few friends are looking to do a 5 day gliding course somewhere in the uk this summer. having looked at the gliding.co.uk website i've found a few clubs that run courses such as these;


Lasham
Bristol & Gloucestershire Gliding Club
Yorkshire Gliding Club
Wolds

Has anyone any experience of these clubs and the courses they run? any advice much appreciated.

Thanks

Firstly, your friends can never count on getting 5 days gliding in the UK!

I've seen Lasham and they have a fleet of K13s and look very well organised. There is also Portmoak, who would only have 2-3 folks on the course as it uses a single K21 and a single instructor. Soaring is possible there without thermal activity so long as the wind is blowing on one of the ridges.

Lasham charge about the same for a launch as Portmoak, but the per-minute airtime charge is considerably more.

http://www.scottishglidingcentre.co....iday.htm#entry

Most clubs should be able to offer you something. A lot of the time its just a case of the club organising an instructor and a winch/tug driver. Probably best to contact whichever club you fancy and see if they can organise something for you. Perhaps consider Scotland, some excellent clubs up this way - Highland Gliding Club, Deeside Club, Cairngorm club. All have first class facilities and will have no problems finding staff for you. And of course, beautiful scenery and plenty soaring in wave at 20'000 feet!

You could also enquire at Shenington or Kent Gliding Club.

I was a member at Shenington for some years and (after moving house) have been at KGC for 3 - both are friendly places to learn.

OC619

I went on a week-long course at Wolds in Pocklington 15yrs ago with a couple of friends... mixed weather but as I recall we all got at least 20 launches in and a couple of us soloed.

Thoroughly enjoyed it... still flying powered and gliders today.
Best way to learn about gliding in my book

Umm ... surely this is an easy choice, given that only one of these clubs is in Yorkshire ? ;););)

I might want to do the same thing over the summer. Assuming a week of good weather and reasonable access to planes/instructor/tugs/winches, what would be achievable as a PPL(A) holder with approx 100 hours and some aerobatics experience? Would I be able to solo? Would I get away from the circuit and do some realistic soaring (assuming the conditions are right)?

Would it make sense to hit the theory books beforehand, and if so, what books are recommended?

Apologies for the thread drift....

...but now I've done my CPL hours & want to stay airbourne during the long slog through ATPL mod 2, I thought I'd take up gliding again :ok: - my first choice would be here, http://www.bwnd.co.uk/, Bath Wilts & North Dorset Gliding Club.

Would anyone that's been there/currently flies there care to comment? There are a few other choices, but this is the closest to me.

I would also add the Midland Gliding club at the Long Mynd (Church Stretton) to your list.

I would recommend that you go to one of the hill sites (Portmoak, Sutton Bank (Yorkshire GC) or Midland GC as above. As long as the weather is half decent you will get ridge and thermal soaring and possibly wave as well. The big advantage of a hill site is that the opportunities for soaring are increased, as even if there is no convection (thermals) the ridge is often working and you will be able to perform useful exercises and soar, whereas, if it is overcast at a flat site you will be straight up, straight down!

The only major difference between these is that at Portmoak the airfield is at the bottom of the hill and therefore probably slightly safer/easier as you do not have to regain ridge height+ to do a circuit. At the other two if you cannot regain the ridge then you are heading for a field at the bottom! (Been there, done that!)

I cannot recommend one of these sites above the others as I have flown on courses at all three of them and had a great time at all.

>>>what would be achievable as a PPL(A) holder with approx 100 hours and some aerobatics experience?<<<

A realisation of what those footrest things are under your feet ;)

A lot of fun

And some real spinning, you will be instructed in spin recovery at circuit height! :eek:

You should get some X-country in and might solo but if you don't you probably won't be far off as long as you build up on the experience.

In my younger days I used to take holiday courses, esp at Bristol and Glos.

They were great, but as mentioned elsewhere, the sport is heavily weather- dependent and there were some courses where we had large amounts of flying andsome where we had very little.

For a PPL it will be a real eye-opener, and they may take longer to solo than they expect. The other issue that will come as an eye-opener will be the amount of time you will be expected to help other people - not something that happens much in the power world !!!

Just enjoy it

Bristol and Glos also has a ridge, and is a friendly club. Probably can't beat the Mynd though, in terms of soaring conditions, club gliders and just general atmosphere, great clubhouse.

FullyFlapped - Unless I'm very much mistaken, two of the clubs from the list are in Yorkshire - Yorkshire GC at Sutton Bank, and Wolds GC at Pocklington.

How long to solo depends. How long is a bit of string? You might get solo, you might not, you might get a week of cr*p weather!

I'd say you don't need much in the way of theory to go solo - you don't have to pass your Bronze paper to do it.

But as said elsewhere, you should have a *lot* of fun and you'll find the price per minute very moderate compared to power flying.

five day gliding course - Where?
 

I suppose it depends on your location, how far do you want to travel. You might consider the Gliding Centre at Husbands Bosworth (between Lutterworth and Market Harborough) They have an all glass fleet, winch and aerotows, motorglider on site, accomodation, etc. Speak to them on 01858 880521

thanks
 

Cheers for all the info guys, lots to consider. The five of us all had to book leave from work about six months ago so our dates are fixed - this is ruling out a few of the clubs mentioned. There still seems to be plenty to choose from, plenty of ridge sites.
we don't really mind too much where we go, although Scotland might be a bit far given that we're travelling from surrey. We are hoping to make a bit of a holiday out of it so don't mint making a bit of a trek. It's good to get some endorsements for clubs from previous visitors.
thanks a lot.

Fly to EDI, hire a car. There is lots more to see & do in Fife, Perthshire & Edinburgh so if the flying is dud you won't be stuck for things to do, unless you find yourselves being briefed to death!

Give the London Gliding Club a call- based on the Dunstable downs with a 300ft ridge on the airfield perimeter. All glass fleet (4 or 5 K21's and a Duo I think) along with a K13 for spin training.

www.londonglidingclub.co.uk

Full facilities on-site inc bar, bunkrooms and restaurant.

What could go wrong....

5 Day Gliding courses
 

Done Yorkshire based courses at Pocklington and Rufforth both excellent value and close enough to York to beetle off and find good eateries.

Lasham, we have an onsite bar and canteen, plenty of good local pubs, fantastic instructors, and the odd world champion, he's not that odd really, basic acomm on site and good B&b's locally, and some rather keen if unpaid tugpilots.

Hi

Another club to consider would be Bidford Gliding Centre, the club runs full time, Aero tow only, and used to be able to provide on site caravan accomodation.

Weather is still a question, but the stratford on avon area is pleasant to explore if the weather is bad.

Crash