Introduction
Gliding
is the most beautiful and absorbing way of flying. Even a first short flight
can be a memorable experience, and gliding's challenges and delights continue
to enthral the most experienced pilots. While most flights are made within
safe reach of the home field, it is possible to soar higher than the Alps
for many miles across country, using only the hidden energy in the air
and hardly noticed from the ground. Your first flight may seem remarkable,
but your first solo or cross country will be every bit as exciting and
very much more rewarding. These will be real achievements, gained by applying
new skills and knowledge. Although gliding is very much concerned with
personal achievement it is far from a solitary sport as each pilot is very
dependant on other enthusiasts. You will be expected to help other just
as they help you through activities such as running the field, driving
the winch, launching gliders and maintaining equipment.
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About gliding
Gliders are basically light aircraft without engines. Most older types
are made of wood and metal, modern ones are made from glass and carbon
fibre. All are strong and controllable so pilots can fly them safely and
accurately, normally landing within a few feet of the chosen place. They
have long efficient wings and glide from 20 to 60 times as far as then
descend. As the normal rate of descent is only about 150 feet a minute,
any faster rising air can be used to gain height and prolong the flight.
This is called soaring and in good conditions gliders can climb several
thousand feet in each area of warm rising air or thermal and then glide
several miles to the next one. In this way long cross country flights can
be flown around pre-planned routes, usually finishing back at the starting
point.
At Seighford gliders are normally launched by a winch placed at the far
end of the field. This pulls in a 3000ft cable attached to the glider which
then climbs, rather like a kite, to a height of 1000 - 2000ft depending
of the direction and strength of the wind. The cable is released at the
top of the launch and the glider begins a wide circuit of the airfield.
If no rising air is found the flight will last about 5 minutes and the
glider will land close to the starting point. As an alternative to the
winch gliders are sometimes towed up behind a powerful light aircraft and
released at a height of 2000ft or more. This is called aerotowing.
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Learning to glide
Virtually anyone who is able to drive a car can learn to fly a glider.
It may take from 50 to 150 flights before you go solo, depending on factors
such as age, aptitude and how regularly you fly. Apart from being reasonably
fit, there are no great physical requirements and people with a variety
of disabilities have found it possible to take up gliding. It is an advantage
to start young although the minimum age for solo flying is 16, younger
members can still learn before this age. There is no maximum age and many
members have begun gliding after retirement and gone on to become successful
solo pilots.
All instruction is by British Gliding Association qualified instructors who are members of the club
and give their services voluntarily. Training flights last an average of
10 minutes and a typical session will be either one soaring flight or three
or four shorter flights. Beginners follow a common syllabus which includes
basic handling, launches, circuits, landings and a range of emergencies
so that you can deal with any likely problem before you go solo. As a result
gliding has an excellent safety record.
National and international gliding authorities have organised a structured
set of tasks to encourage solo pilots to progress at their own rate by
flying for longer periods, soaring to greater heights and flying further
distances. These increasing levels of skill and experience are the basis
of the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Diamond badge system. These tasks are entirely
voluntary and many pilots are happy with local soaring within a few miles
of the airfield.
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About Staffordshire Gliding Club
The club was formed a Meir Airfield in 1962 and moved to a moorland site
near Leek when Meir closed in 1972. We moved to Seighford in 1992 as it
is much more suitable for modern gliding, since the move we have grown
to around 120 members. We are a self help club without any employees,
which keeps down the cost of flying and encourages a friendly atmosphere
sometimes lacking in the larger professional clubs. The club fleet includes
three two-seat training aircraft (2 x ASK 13 and Grob Twin II)
and a single seat Astir.
In addition to the club fleet there are many privately owned gliders based at Seighford.
Gliding at Seighford takes place every weekend and bank holiday throughout the year and on Friday's during the summer (May to August). In addition short courses and expeditions to other sites are arranged from time to time. It is not possible to book flights in advance as gliding depends on the weather. It needs a team to prepare the gliders and equipment before flying and to put them away at the end of the day. Therefore members are encouraged to spend most of each day on the site and flying is normally organised in the order of arrival.
The club is registered as a company belonging to the members who elect an Executive Committee at Annual General Meetings. It is non profit making and all the revenue is used to meet operational costs and to fund new developments.
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Last updated 11th April 2008
© 2008 Staffordshire Gliding Club