Any glider pilots here?
 

I am looking to take up gliding as a way to pass my time at the weekends.

The two clubs near me are Cambridge Gliding Centre and London Gliding Club (Both a fair drive away, however they are the closest).

However the pictures on their website show lots of old and middle-aged people. There is nothing wrong with that but I am 20 and without trying to sound offensive, it's not really the type of social group I am looking for (It's like going out with your Dads or Granddads friends!)

Does anyone who is part of a gliding club (doesn't have to be the two mentioned above) know if there are any young people around my age that go?

Hello Roooob....

Now if I really wanted to entince you into gliding I would describe myself as 19 years old, red haired, already at University, already a solo pilot at Shenington gliding club....but that's not me, I'm just an old fart.....however I'm sure she would be pleased to introduce you to the gliding scene at our club. Or you might be happier to mix with the Oxford uni kids at Bicester (otherwise known as Windrushers).

I would expect Cambridge to send a few youngsters down to Gransden Lodge...that's the Cambridge club.

Gliding is for all sorts, there is a social side, but did you actually want to learn to fly or just socialise? If flying is your dream, it makes a lot of sense to (1) start young and (2) start with gliding. At our club a junior member (under 25 years of age, that is) pays a yearly subscription of £35, and £8 per winch launch. By the time you achieve solo, and learn to use thermals to go cross country, like the young lady forementioned, you would be well on your way....good luck!

There are glider pilots here; those more active than I will tell you that some (many?) clubs have various scholarships and support for students and younger members, so you shouldn't have to feel like a shoot amongst old trees, although as you have gathered the pilot population overall isn't youthful, by any stretch of the imagination.

Were it probably not a practical idea, I'd suggest going to France where youngsters are far more in evidence...

But don't let us wrinklies deter you; join the club that makes you welcome and enjoy the flying. I'd make that top priority, rather than the age of the members. New friends come in all sorts of age groups and you also have the chance to set an example to your friends and drag the average age down.

SO, Roooooob.........Just because the body's ancient, you make the closed-mind asumption that the brain and personality are, as well.

You're missing a trick!- wise -up matey!:p

In answer to your first question, there are a few glider pilots “here”, but a lot more on gliderpilot.net.

Secondly, many gliding clubs have young members, though in the nature of things most clubs have more members over 30 than younger. In my club (Essex GC, at Ridgewell), offhand out of about 50 members I can think of at least 6 below 25,. Some solo and some not yet. We also have a junior member cadet scheme with reduced fees for students. (I once calculated that one of our junior pilots who joined when about 10 had several thousand poundsworth of free flying subsidised by the rest of us.) On Saturday and Sunday this weekend, our most advanced junior (aged 16) had 8 aerobatic training flights – paid for by his family, however, not by other club members – we can’t stretch to that sort of subsidy!

It sounds as though we would be a long drive for you, however. If you do choose to visit us, I think you would get a better welcome than is described in another thread.

Chris N

Telling us where you are based would be a good start. Nearest clubs at Cambridge and London does not ring right for a start!

Try a VGS
 

If you are willing to commit and put the effort in then the RAFs Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (VGS) are always looking for staff who have the right attitude.

Volunteer Gliding Squadron - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You will be expected to help out on the airfield and may find you work more than you fly (helping to launch gliders, retrieving gliders or operating the winch), but you will fly. The social side of it is really good, it is a real team effort. There are lots of younger staff, a constant supply of cadets from the Air Training Corps who complete their training and stay on as flight staff cadets before becoming civilian instructors.

Find a squadron close to you and give the Officer Commanding and phone call, they usually only operate at weekends though.

LGC
 

Hi Roooob,

It is very many years since I was a member of London Gliding Club, but there is one thing about that place that will not have changed, namely the topography. It is a complex and difficult site for a newby but an excellent one for an experienced glider pilot.

They have three runways there and therefore three directions of take-off and landing nearly all of them very far from level, not to mention the soaring ridge immediately along one side of the airfield which can complicate landing approaches from that direction.

When I was there you had to have a separate check-out for each landing approach. Your check-out only lasted a couple of months, so if your check-out for a particular approach became expired through not being used, then even though you had flown solo for several weeks on the trot previously on other approaches, you had fly with an instructor on your expired approach before you could fly it solo again. To get this flight with an instructor, you might have to wait all day (because of busy flying lists) and even then you might not get it. This made for slow, frustrating and expensive progress. After one season there I moved to Booker.

I don't know the Cambridge Gliding Centre site, but I cannot imagine it could possibly be as difficult as the LGC one. I would say do your basic training, (say perhaps up to BGA 'C' Certificate) at Cambridge and then decide later whether you wish to move to LGC for the ridge and the challenge when you have some skill and are ready to join a syndicate.

Well that's my two pen'th.

Good luck Roooob; I hope you enjoy gliding.

BP.

Air Training Corps or anything subsidised by the RAF as mentioned above by Lost In Cloud is a good start, lots of kids get to march up and down, push gliders, and occasionally fly; the University squadrons are excellent value if you qualify. After learning the basics on one of these programmes, often life paths go different ways, the kid has to get a proper job, raise a family, move round the country, change wives, whatever, and then, at the age of 50 plus, they COME BACK TO GLIDING.....and already know basically how to fly!

Other chaps go on and mortgage their future to buy a commercial rating, this is a very stressful path but you might find yourself in the sharp end of a Boeing or an Airbus .... or meat bombing....

As for going on glider pilot net, not a very useful forum because it is poorly designed and hard to read - and full of immature young persons.....

PPRuNe enjoys the patronage of pilots and those interested in aviation who can actually communicate facts, ideas,....and scornful putdowns

Maybe you could see it as an opportunity rather than a disadvantage.

When I learnt at Portmoak as a student in the early 1980's I became a member of the Tuesday group which consisted of a number of older retired members (including instructors)who got together on a Tuesday to fly rather than at the weekends. I forget how I got involved but it was probably a case of discovering that I had no lectures on a Tuesday and just asking. It seemed a bit odd at first but it quickly became apparent that we all had a common aim and everybody just mucked in. I had a great time, made some good friends and learnt a lot.

There may be a similar group you can get involved with rather than flying at the weekends when it is busier.

Curiously I drifted away from gliding to boating and discovered that my local boat club has a similar Tuesday group - the only difference is that I am one of the old ones now doing what I can to help the younger members. That said I am planning to be one of the ones described by Mary who drifts away and then comes back now that the children have left home, mortgage paid off etc.

Wherever you decide to go don't be put off by first appearances. As I said at the end of the day people are just there to go gliding and enjoy themselves.

At my old club, we had a lot of juniors 13-18 and some college kids who usually instructed, flew commercial rides, towed, or did all 3. Then there is a huge age gap until you get to the empty nesters. I never found age a barrier in flying. The common love of flight breaks down many barriers.
Home
Bryan

Roob
Look at the BGA web site - it'll lead you to the location map of all BGA clubs in the UK with contact details etc. Fret not about us old farts as a certain person refers to herself & probably means other keen & willing souls, we are harmless & full of useful information. If on the other hand you find that a little daunting there is a very enthusiastic nationwide band of "Juniors" who regularly hold their own competitions & training sessions at sites around the Uk, again the BGA web site gives you all the information. A lot of clubs offer places to the likes of Air Scouts, nearby University's etc & of course us so called old farts also help subsidise the younger members (who get cheaper launch & flying rates at a lot of clubs).
Go for it & good luck
R2

I'm a member of Midland Gliding Club up at the Long Mynd in Shropshire. I'm 21.

Yes, there are a few junior members ('juniors' in the gliding world means under 26) but due to the nature of the sport there are many more of the older generation who have retired or whose kids have left home etc.

You seem to think that this is a bad thing; but they'll have a lot to teach you! It's not like going out for the day with your parents: You are all there to fly, and most of the older lot are really keen to get younger guys involved - if you're not a complete twunt then the age difference is irrelevant; they just become your pilot mates from the gliding club.

However, the junior gliding scene in the UK is actually thriving. The UK Junior National Championships held each year (Lasham in 2014) are huge fun; ten days of moderate-to-heavy drinking, youthful antics and of course, excellent flying.

Throughout the winter, 'UK Junior Gliding' (actually just a load of juniors) hold a few weekends at different gliding clubs where we can all meet up, engage in some more moderate-to-heavy drinking, youthful antics, and excellent flying.

Check out this excellent video put together by the UK Junior Gliding team which sums up last season nicely:



:ok:

Thanks for all the replys guys! I'm grateful you didn't all take my post the wrong way and post sarcastic replies!

I think i'm gunner go for it now. Nothing to lose really. But a question- if I started now, would I get much flying in over the winter, or is it more of a summer sport?

Winter flying
 

Evening Roob,

As far as winter gliding is concerned, most clubs do try to fly on every possible day throughout the winter. Lack of thermal activity on flat sites generally means short flights, but good for circuit bashing. For prolonged flights you need to go to a ridge site (Parham, Dunstable, Oop North) or a wave site (Oop north). The other consideration in winter is waterlogged airfields, which can shut some clubs down for weeks at a time.

Anyway, if you're anywhere near Welland GC do drop in

Cheers

Peg

Roooooob

You don't mention where you are in the UK; Bicester has a very active junior scene, and a good mix young and middle age pilots. It's well priced, it's an easy site to fly from especially if you are learning.

Now is the best time of year to learn to glide - with a moderate level of commitment you'll be solo by March / April just in time to make the most of the soaring season. So many people start in the summer but don't hit solo until the best of the weather has passed. If you can hack flying in the winter, summer is a breeze.

Sustained flights in winter, in wave, are also possible in the west (e.g. Nympsfield, Usk, Talgarth, Long Mynd, Lleweni Park) as well as oop North.

Chris N

Roooob,

I fly at Cambridge Gliding Centre, and it's true that some of us are past our first flush of youth. The airfield does cater for pilots of all ages though - within reason!

We operate a motor glider for Hertfordshire Scouts who even have their own club-room on site. They are frequently around at weekends. Cambridge University Gliding club operates fom our site, sharing our aircraft and instructors. We also run a cadet scheme for a few younger members. We have had several first solo flights of members between 14 and 16 this year.

CUGC have a picture gallery showing a few younger faces on the airfield ...
Gallery

Roob
I've flown all civilian types from models thro to heavies bar autogiros...
Gliding is without doubt the most skilful and enjoyable.
I haven't flown one for two years (local French politics) but still paraglide ...the next best aviation sport ...but also incredibly dangerous with instruction ranging from excellent to useless.(and very often pray to the weather).
I witnessed one training accident and had a mate injured recently at a reputed school. Both UK based.
IMHO the gliding instructional standard is incredibly high and is monitored by the BGA.
The winter is the easiest time to learn as long as you chose a club that doesn't suffer from runway closure due to flooding.
A ridge opens you open to faster progression as does a motor glider.
There are several clubs that have a student group co based.
Good luck
From an old fart who feels he is too old to fly upside down in the mountains.
Can you post a photo of your mum or her mum?

Hi Roob,

I fly at CGC and to be honest most members are either around retirement or their late teens to twenties. I don't think you would have a problem socially, I'm the odd one out as I fall halfway between, not many of my age but that doesn't really worry me as I am mainly there to fly. They are having a fireworks party on Saturday, that would be a good time to see if you fit in socially. I'm sure non members would be welcome if they knew you were as prospective candidate so to speak, 6 quid a ticket...