Adventure group fly high

When gliding was suggested as an activity for the Adventure Group we weren’t sure that enough people would be quite that adventurous, but actually we were oversubscribed! Fifteen of us made the journey to the Devon and Somerset Gliding Club and, after some pretty dismal weather over the previous weeks, we were delighted that it was an absolutely glorious evening. It turns out that the weather that is perfect for spending the evening sitting in a field with your friends enjoying a picnic is not quite so perfect for gliding. It seems there was not enough air movement to allow expert pilots to find the thermals that would enable them to soar really high and stay up for ages. However, it was fine for the short taster flights that we had booked. We were able to enjoy our picnic and our flight.

First we were given a short safety briefing and told what to expect during the evening. Our gliders would be launched with a winch to a height of about eleven hundred feet and we could expect spectacular views. Those of us that wanted to would have a chance to take control of the glider as we flew. Somewhat disconcertingly we were told that we would need to wear a parachute. We were all shown how to put it on, however, we were then reassured that there was absolutely no chance that we would need to use it.

Soon we were making our way to where three gliders were waiting for us with their pilots. The first of us were introduced to their pilots and then donned their parachutes, clambered into the front seat of the cockpit and strapped in with a five point harness. A rope was attached to the underside of the glider, the winch took up the slack and within seconds they were airborne. Soon they were soaring serenely through the sky and could see for miles across the countryside and to the sea. There were also good views of the airfield, the gliders on the ground below and the tiny dots of everyone else waiting for their turns.

The gliders had just three small wheels along their length but they hurtled across the grass on landing until they came to a stop, tipped so that one wingtip was on the ground. It was extremely difficult to clamber out of the cockpit and it certainly couldn’t be done elegantly! After our flights each of us helped by pushing the end of the wing and turning the glider round ready to take it back for the next person to have a go.

It was a fantastic experience and we spent a wonderful evening watching each other enjoying our flights. At the end of the evening the last people were taking off into a beautiful sunset. Many thanks are due to the volunteers at the Gliding Club who gave up their time to give us a taste of their wonderful hobby.

Deborah Wallis, convenor

For a longer version of this report please see Deborah’s blog here.