Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
User avatar
By Waveflyer
#1692996
This picture gives some idea of the number of Gliding clubs there are in England and Wales.

Image

This was the scene at Nympsfield this morning.

Image

About 30 gliders launched and many of them were on cross country tasks that would take them on flights of 200 - 300 k.

When we do PPL training we generally don’t learn much about the Gliding community so I am just making the point that many hundreds of gliders were in the sky today and it’s very likely that if you were flying you were close to one or more and I wonder how many you saw?
bambuko liked this
User avatar
By Cowshed
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1693002
Saw 4 (I think) en route over Kemble back to Gloucester this afternoon. Definitely 2 about the same level as me, and I think another 2 lower near the Cotswold ridge (but being truthful my passenger saw those first).

As soon as I see one I always wonder how many others have I missed.
User avatar
By lobstaboy
#1693003
I once encountered a gliding task coming in the opposite direction. Suddenly the sky was full of them. All I could think of was, "Gliders! Thousands of them." (Apols to Colour Sergeant Bourne of the 24 the Regiment of Foot).

Decided that my best course of action was to descend to 1000' agl to get past them since gliders will always try to be higher than that on a cross country.
Iceman, Charles Hunt, Maxthelion and 1 others liked this
User avatar
By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1693006
I’ve posted before about the day when I had to abandon a days flying from our strip when a gaggle of gliders from Tibenham just up the road in a gliding competition lost lift suddenly : Four landed on our strip and one in the crops alongside .it took the rest of the afternoon to clear them so I pushed the Ac back into the hangar and went home....

Peter :wink:
User avatar
By lobstaboy
#1693018
PeteSpencer wrote:Four landed on our strip and one in the crops alongside .it took the rest of the afternoon to clear them so I pushed the Ac back into the hangar and went home....

Peter :wink:


It's good that you were able to help with pushing the gliders and still have the energy to move your own aircraft... ;)
User avatar
By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1693024
lobstaboy wrote:
PeteSpencer wrote:Four landed on our strip and one in the crops alongside .it took the rest of the afternoon to clear them so I pushed the Ac back into the hangar and went home....

Peter :wink:


It's good that you were able to help with pushing the gliders and still have the energy to move your own aircraft... ;)


Yeah, right. :roll:

Peter
User avatar
By BirdsEyeView
#1693044
One reason I don't fly at the weekends now after giving up gliding almost 2 years ago. I think that map doesn't show enough glider sites...
xxxxxx radar controller: "Traffic two o'clock 8 miles, multiple returns... no height information, probably gliders."
Me: "A flock of gliders."
User avatar
By shortwing
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1693047
As a glider pilot, I hated the attitude of the last club I was a member off.

"we have right of way so power can move for us"

There was a sad attitude of them and us. Sadly the new club has the same attitude of "power pilots are just drivers"

Shared skies anyone?
User avatar
By CloudHound
#1693051
There are cooperative gliding and powered aerodromes operating harmoniously. I'm involved with one but ink isn't yet dry on the latest LoA so unable to name names.

However, with the right attitude on both sides and a shared ambition it can work.
Waveflyer, Nick, kanga and 2 others liked this
User avatar
By Ridders
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1693058
We work very well with Ringmer, who are pretty close to us. Indeed at a safety evening at the gliding field, the CFI offered flights to the power pilots at our airfield and we reciprocated offering glider pilots flights from ours. That reminds me - we really should set something up soon!

The air is full of many types locally. Paragliding/paramotor and hangliding from the downs and hills, gliders from Parham and Ringmer, I’ve even had a ballon flight from our airfield - it’s always good to appreciate flying from another totally different perspective.

We really should all get on.
Waveflyer, Iceman, Nick and 5 others liked this
User avatar
By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1693069
lobstaboy wrote:I thought so...


Three long trailers and a Condor tug :

I would just have been in their way: :lol:

Peter
User avatar
By Waveflyer
#1693083
If you are interested to know more about what some gliders achieve you may find this short article interesting but always bear in mind that gliders may be travelling in huge groups

https://www.gliding.co.uk/2018/06/30/te ... -in-the-uk

I wonder if there is a gliding pilot on here who could explain where and when we could expect to see gliders soaring, thermalling etc so that we could keep a better look out and be better prepared to “see and avoid”?
mick w liked this