Portmoak is a great place to fly: a good fleet of aircraft; winch and aerotow launches; ridges which work in virtually all wind directions bar easterly; thermals in 'summer'; wave in winter (and spring and autumn). Going solo over a snow-covered landscape was a magical experience, maybe only bettered by climbing at 700 feet per minute to 10,000 feet over Loch Leven and seeing the whole of Fife spread out below me. That I got there on the power of the wind alone never fails to awe and amaze.

Modern gliders can go higher and faster than your average spamcan. They've got radios for controlled airspace, and turbos and self-sustainers even have engines, so you can satisfy your ATC/Pushing Tin and "'Clear Prop!" shouting fetishes to your heart's content. Plus the challenge and skill required to stay aloft at all. And the fact you only get one attempt at landing each flight.

Unless your PPL is merely the first step on an aviation career, I'd suggest gliding is a more rewarding way to fly. However, it is, or can be, a significant time commitment, which some might struggle to make. Other find it takes over your life completely....to the chagrin of spouses & significant others, employers, non-gliding folk etc...! If you're therefore looking for a shorter, more schedule-able, bookable or organise-able time commitment then the more 'turn up and go' commercial flight school approach could suit.

Cats 5: I think I know a couple like that at my club!

Paul

They've been busy today: Daily Scores

Flights of over 780 & 900km, I suspect more flights still to go on the ladder.

Gliding is an affordable entry into flying, but be warned it is addictive and time consuming, if you fancy giving it a go book a day course at your local club, April to September will give you a good chance of decent weather, if you like that, join the club and start to learn, you will make quick progress if you have one or two instructors that get to know you. It can be time time consuming most clubs expect one weekend day a month duty time and you may want to do more, if you have a partner he / she will need to be understanding.

Your first goal is to fly solo, a quick learner with good instructors maybe 40 flights, by that time you will have learned the basics and scope of gliding, the more you get involved the more you learn. Your fellow club members will come from all walks of life and appearance is no guide to experience or rank so get to know who is who.

Best of luck, fit in with the club rules and stay out of club politics.

I fly power and gliders, having started in gliding.

I've had a lot more memorable flights in gliders than I have in powered aircraft (for all the right reasons). If you can afford the time, go for it.

I currently fly power and gliders at a smaller club a bit further north,
Portmoak has superb instructors, a good fleet and is in a decent place to learn to fly.
Every airfield has a doom and gloom merchant on it, practice see and avoid skills early :)

Unless intending to go the full CPL route, you'll get tired of spamcans and 100 quid bacon rolls quickly, Gliding never gets dull.
The day the guys were referring to Ed banged out over 1000km, John W (Scottish one) did 900+ km at over 150kph, with no engine, Sant did the highest scoring flight in the UK from Portmoak (lower performance glider, higher scores)

Costs, like any form of aviation, you can spend what you want to.
Flying the club fleet will keep costs to bare minimum, club membership then as much or as little as you want to spend a month from there.
Gliders cost from 500 quid for a share in a multi person syndicate with a vintage glider to 450k gbp for a nice self launcher, and anywhere in between depending on your wants and desires.

'tis challenging and fun, avoid the club politics . . . .

Jazzer,

Lots of good advice here. This may have been mentioned already but one of the advantages of gliding is it significantly improves airmanship.

Also, learning to glide will make you much more aware of the weather. In my experience, it’s only glider pilots and sailors who look up at the sky when they step outside. 😉

Jazzer,

You mentioned the 'Scottish Gliding Centre', which is based at Portmoak. Formerly known as Scottish Gliding Union, it is the closest to Edinburgh and one of the larger clubs in Scotland. Depending on where you live, it may or may not be the most convenient for you.

The other clubs I know of in Scotland are -

Deeside Gliding Club at Aboyne,
Cairngorm Gliding Club at Feshiebridge,
Highland Gliding Club at Easterton and
Dumfries and District Gliding Club at Falgunzeon.

Just across the border there is also the Borders Gliding Club at Milfield.

All will have friendly as well as grumpy pilots...

Both SGC and Deeside Gliding Club operate during the week as well as at weekends form late Spring till late Autumn. The others are largely weekend operations except for occasional summer weeks.

SGC, Deeside and Cairngorm will probably all have visiting sailplanes hoping for high level wave flights just now - always fun to hear about.

Enjoy yourself, and India Four Two is absolutely right; you will never look at a sky in the same way again.!

Financial Health Warning - Gliding is dangerously addictive, to the detriment of your wallet (although probably not more than most other forms of aviation). I'd be a lot better off if I hadn't gone solo in 1960, and spent much of the past 57 years gliding all over the world wherever and whenever possible. Some of the more memorable flights were over Scotland.

Go for it.

Thanks for all the replies! I think I'll give gliding a go and see how I get on. Powered flying is still very tempting but a ppl will set me back approx £10k then at least £1300 a year to keep it current. (12 flying hours)

From all that I've read a glider is a far more comfortable and enjoyable ride that most light aircraft out there anyway.

And if it's good enough for Sully...!

Back in the 90s when I did my glider pilot licence it allowed me to reduce the hours of the PPL course almost to a point where I had two licenses for the price of one...
The advantages of getting the early knowledge of flying in a glider is a great base that will stick forever with you.
I am not aware of the regulations now, if you still get a reduction in the PPL hours by being a Glider pilot, go for it.