How do Gliders stay up?
Gliders soar in the same way as the birds, by finding rising warm air created by
the sun heating the ground. These columns of warm air are marked by the fluffy
white cumulus cloud you see on a summer's day. Watch one for a while and you
will the cloud grow as is it fed by the rising warm air and then slowly disappear
as it is heated from above by the sun. Glider pilots use this warm air to climb
higher before gliding across country then "top -up" again when
required. Our pilots regularly stay up for more than 5 hours in a day and cover
many hundreds of miles.
Don't they need the wind?
There are three types of "lift" that enable gliders to stay up. Firstly there is
rising warm air known as thermals. These allow pilots to go long distances in
the summer. Secondly there is ridge lift where a rising wall of air is created when a strong wind hits a vertical cliff such as at Sutton
Bank in Yorkshire. Thirdly, when the strong jet stream of wind at high altitude
hits a major mountain range such as the Grampians, the air is forced into
vertical waves for a considerable distance down wind. These waves in the air let
glider pilots reach heights of over 20,000 feet. At our club we rely on
thermals. We can fly in all wind conditions from flat calm to very strong but
best conditions are with a 10 to 15 mph breeze as this makes take-off and
landing easier. More detailed information is available
here.
How do gliders land where
they want?
All glider have air brakes on the wing that are used to steepen the approach
angle so allowing the pilot to land exactly where he wants. Great precision can
be achieved.
Can anyone fly a glider?
Yes, almost any one. You must be able to meet the medical conditions for driving
a car. You must also be within the generous minimum and maximum weight limits
for the glider. Age is no problem although people under 14 are usually too light
or too small so we may have to add ballast weight or extra seat cushions. The minimum age for flying solo in a glider is 16.
What does it cost?
The initial flight is best bought as a trial lesson and we include 2 months free
club membership. Once you decide you want to learn to fly, all instructor time
is free and you only pay for launches and aircraft rental. As the club does not
employ staff in order to keep costs to a minimum, it depends on members
volunteering their time to help get other members "in the air" when they
themselves are not flying. This can range from helping with the log keeping to
servicing the aircraft - there's normally something to do! Detailed cost
information is available here.
Can I have a trial lesson?
Yes, click here for details.
Do I have to book a flight?
No, just turn up. We are open every weekend and public holiday, weather
permitting. When you arrive, go to the launch point and tell someone you want a
trial lesson or that you have a Gift Voucher. Training is provided on a "first
come first served" basis. The Duty Pilot will organise everything
for you. You may have to wait a while if we are busy or there is a series of
training flights but we aim to start your flight within 1 hour if at all
possible. We open around 10:00 and close for visitors around 17:00.
I
have flown microlights and light aircraft, does that count?
Any experience in other aircraft will help you to fly a glider. The rules of
the air, air maps etc are the same. The controls are the same as light aircraft
with the engine controls being replaced by airbrakes. Microlight pilots who fly
weight shift aircraft may take a time to undo their training to push the
controls the "wrong way"!
The additional training is for circuit planning, launching and of course, in
staying up.
Does
flying gliders allow me fly a plane with an engine?
Once you have a gliding licence you may count this toward a National Private
Pilots Licence. The conversion is quick and cheap. This is the best and lowest
cost way of gaining an NPPL - and glider pilots make the best power pilots? Why
not take a trial lesson and discuss how we can help you towards a power licence.
We have one day courses for ab initios and experienced pilots.
Are you open every day?
We are open every weekend and public holiday, weather permitting. We open around
10:00 and close for visitors around 17:00. See our
finding us page
for our location.
