I started upon my gliding career back in the summer of 1989, to give me something to do whilst I was embariking upon my last year in 6th form in Caterham.
My first year was thus spent on winch launches from Kenley Aerodrome, home at that time to the Surrey Hills Gliding Club. Between the restrictions of winch launching, the performance limitations of the hardy Blaniks, and a 2000 foot ceiling caused by the London TMA, we felt lucky if we could put 4 minutes down in the logbook for a flight. However, after much ado I managed to gain those white on blue cloth wings, and I have never looked back since.
I then continued on to University, at Loughborough where I immediately became a guiding light of the Gliding Society. This still exists and use now as they did then the facilities of the Coventry Gliding Club at Husbands Bosworth Airfield. This period was only interrupted by my year out, where I joined the equally large Linköping's Segelflygklubb, where I got my first 5 hours.
During the summer holidays I found the club I use most regularly, namely Örnsköldsvik's Segelflygklubb, flying out of Mellansel. This is a very pleasant little club, with very good facilities for such a small organisation. To give some idea of the spirit of the club, it's the birthplace of gliding for wheelchair users, using the patented CGM system
These days my gliding activities are restricted to my summer holidays, plus some warm up flying before I go over to Sweden, to make the most of the 2-3 weeks a year I dedicate to the sport.
For more information about gliding in general, and gliding in Sweden in particular, click on the glider at the top of the page.
Back up