Frequently Asked Questions - General

A trial lesson costs £75 where the launch is by aerotow.  The flight time will be roughly 15-20 minutes with a maximum of 30 minutes.

You will fly with one of our qualified instructors who holds the necessary British Gliding Association Instructor rating.

Yes.  All trial lessons have to be booked in advance.

Trial lessons are tailored to suit the individual and those who want to handle the controls of the glider will have the opportunity to do so.

Yes. The following declaration must be signed before by everyone before they fly.

I hereby declare that I have never suffered from any of the following which I understand may create or lead to a dangerous situation in flight: epilepsy, fits, severe head injury, recurrent fainting, giddiness or blackouts, unusually high blood pressure, a previous coronary. I am not regularly taking insulin for the control of diabetes. I further declare that in the event of my contracting or suspecting any of the above conditions or any other disability, mental or physical, which would be likely to result in flying in a glider by me being a source of danger to myself or others, I will cease to fly until I have obtained medical opinion and authority.

I understand that the following conditions may cause difficulty while flying: chronic bronchitis, diabetes in any form, severe asthma, rheumatic fever, chronic sinus disease, kidney stones, chronic ear disease, psychiatric disorders, eye trouble (e.g. inability to read a car number at 25 yards - corrective glasses may be used), severe travel or motion sickness, frequent severe migraine, any condition requiring the regular use of drugs (includes any medication whatsoever); and that minor illnesses, drugs and the donation of blood will probably make me temporarily unfit to fly. I undertake to seek medical advice in the event of suffering from any of these conditions.

Please note that even if you do have any of the medical conditions mentioned above it may still be possible to have a trial lesson but you MUST declare it to the club and may also require a doctor's signature.

Wear clothing that's comfortable and warm. Airfields are very much exposed to the elements and visitors tend to be too cold rather than too hot. In summertime you should bring appropriate sun screen. High heels and flip-flops are inappropriate footwear in a glider.

This of course depends on a number of factors:

• The aptitude of the student pilot.
• Any previous flying experience that you might have. Note, flying computer flight simulators is not necessarily a good thing as you can pick up some very bad habits when it comes to flying real gliders.
• How regularly you attend the club and take lessons.

Most student glider pilots who attend fairly regularly will go solo after approximately 40 to 70 flights which usually takes 4 to 8 months.

The legal minimum age is 14 in the U.K.

No, not as such. When you are training you don't need a licence but after you have gone solo you will be issued with a certificate by the British Gliding Association (BGA). This certificate is then endorsed with each achievement in your gliding life.

The club has a comprehensive insurance policy for its members to cover risks to gliders, its property and third party property. If you have a life insurance policy you should check that you are covered for private flying before starting any flying training.

Yes. All pre-solo training will be bookable in advance. When you join the club you will be given a username and password whereby you will be able to enter the online booking system to book time slots for training. Please note that the club is run by the members for the members and you will be expected to help out at times other than when you have training booked.

The club has in the past run intensive 5 day (Mon to Fri) training courses. To find out more information and if course places are available please use the Contact Us link at the top of the page.