Shalbourne Gliding's Open Days 17 & 18 May
Gliding is an engrossing hobby and, for some, a competitive sport. An experienced glider pilot can fly for hours just using the power of the elements and on summer days flights of hundreds of kilometres are commonly flown from clubs up and down the country. For younger people it can be a gateway into careers in aviation or STEM subjects more generally. It is also a tremendous social opportunity; the vast majority of gliding clubs are run entirely by volunteers and no-one gets to fly without the assistance of others - everyone needs to join in and help out. Away from the actual flying there are also social events and expeditions to other gliding clubs in the UK and elsewhere.
Gliding creates almost no noise or pollution, and is a thrilling test of a pilot’s skill and knowledge. The sport is much more affordable than power flying, and lessons are provided by qualified club instructors who don't charge for their time, providing tuition for free.
​
Shalbourne Gliding is offering flights to potential new members during the weekend of 17/18 May for as little as £60. You can just turn up on either day but it would be great for scheduling purposes if you could register your interest here. This will also allow us to keep you informed if things change, for example, if the weather is not forecast to be suitable.
If you do want to turn up on the day, note we will be running two sessions each day: one starting at 09:30 and the second starting at 13:30. We'd like everyone attending to be there at these times so we can brief everyone together on how the day will be organised. You may not get to fly immediately, depending on demand but come and chat to us while you are waiting and we'll soon have you in the air.
_edited_edited.jpg)
We would like to see men and women and younger people of every age taking part in our open days. Juniors can learn to fly from roughly the age of 12 (depending on their size) and can qualify as a solo pilot at 14. Many a junior pilot has trained and been cleared to fly solo but had to wait to do so until their 14th birthday!​​
If you have wanted to learn to fly, ever been curious how gliders work or just want to see the beautiful Wiltshire countryside from a new perspective, come along!