How do people learn to glide?
A lot of people learned to glide while in the Air Cadets. This route into gliding is now more difficult.
Most people these days learn to glide in two-seat gliders at a gliding club like ours.
Instruction is free of charge as the club is a not for profit, voluntary organisation. Gliding lessons typically last around 40 minutes. And it’s possible to have more than one in a day so progress can be quite rapid.
Instructors will teach you how to check the glider before flying, take off and fly accurately behind the tow plane. You will learn how to control the glider and make use of rising air currents. Lessons will also cover how you approach the landing and the actual landing itself. Gliding like most other forms of aviation is quite procedural. This means we are prepared for all eventualities and can deal with them using well proven techniques.
Ground based lessons will cover air law, navigation, principles of flight and technical aspects of gliders.
After a beginner has successfully flown solo, the next step is to you become a fully qualified glider pilot. You’ll go on to complete a training syllabus to achieve the Bronze and Cross-Country endorsements. You will then hold the glider equivalent of the Private Pilot’s Licence.