Vale of White Horse Gliding Centre

Your safety is our number one concern both in the air and on the ground, so if you are planning on visiting the airfield, we would appreciate it of you could take the time to read the safety information we have detailed below before your visit.

Airfields are, by their very nature, potentially dangerous places; however, following a few simple rules and guidelines will help you to spot and avoid any hazards.

The airfield layout is shown on the map below. The site entrance for Members and Visitors is from the B4000. There is a Public Footpath along the SW boundary. Aircraft launch either from the eastern end of the airfield or the south-western end (shown hatched). Landings can occur in any part of the Airfield.

Arriving on the Airfield:

Launching from the south-west

If you cannot see aircraft on the ground when you enter the site, we are probably launching from the south-western end. Please proceed slowly along the track to the Clubhouse and hangar at the south-western corner of the airfield.  Keep to the track all the way, do not linger en-route, keep a good lookout and stop if you see an aircraft taking off or landing.

Park your car (or bike) alongside the Clubhouse fence but away from the front of the hangar, or as directed by a club member. You should then proceed to the clubhouse to register your presence.

Launching from the east

If you can see gliders waiting to be launched as you enter the site, then we are launching from the east.  Park your car by the B4000 entrance (in the area shown) and proceed carefully to the launch point.

Open Days (special events)

On Open Days there will be marshals to greet you at the entrance and direct you to suitable parking areas and the reception point (e.g. the clubhouse or caravan); so if you are arriving on an Open Day, please follow the marshals’ instructions.

General

Do not stray onto adjacent land or cross any barriers or fences, these are in place to help ensure your safety.

Getting to and from the Launch Point

We launch our gliders using aerotow or winches. With aerotow we tow the gliders behind a powered aircraft, our tug, until they reach sufficient height to find thermals. The tug has a rope trailing behind it when landing. When we are winching, the winch is at the opposite end of the airfield from the launch point. The winch has a high powered engine driving a pair of cable drums; wire cables are drawn out from the winch to the launch point. A glider is attached to one of the cables and then pulled rapidly; the glider reaches flying speed (about 50mph) in a few seconds and then climbs steeply into the air. 

To get from the car park to the launch point (where there will be a group of people by the parked gliders) keep as close to the fence or hedge as possible, do not linger on the way and keep well away from the paths of gliders that may be launching or landing. It is best to keep pets in your vehicle or on a short leash and to keep children closely supervised all the time they are on the airfield.

Before crossing to the launch point, always look out for aircraft which may be landing.  You should do this by looking out over the fence or hedge to see if any aircraft are approaching the airfield. If they are, then wait for them to land before you start to cross.  If you are already crossing then return briskly to the airfield side so that you are clear of the line of the landing aircraft before they touch down. Keeping a good lookout is particularly important since gliders are almost silent and remember, our tug has a rope attached to its tail.

Visitors arriving at the launch point should introduce themselves immediately to one of the club members; they will provide information about flying with us or viewing our operations; they can also tell you where the toilets (etc) are and how best to get there. To return to the car park, proceed in the same careful manner.

General safety guidelines:

Finally –  enjoy your visit

We want you to enjoy your time on the Airfield, so let us know what you’d like to see, to learn about or to do, and we’ll do our best to make sure your visit provides a pleasant and memorable experience. 

Please feel free to print a copy of the above guidelines for when you visit the field. Click here to download the information in MS Word format, or here in Adobe PDF format.

For Trial Lesson/Gift Voucher enquiries, please send mail to vouchers@swindongliding.co.uk.
For other non-voucher/lesson enquiries, please see the Contacts page.
Copyright © 2004-6 Vale of White Horse Gliding Centre
 www.swindongliding.co.uk Last modified: 04-12-07