A members introduction

A gift voucher is a wonderful introduction, and an exciting Christmas present

Come to the home of the first jet aircraft flight and experience for yourself silent, and engine less flight at Shenington Gliding Club.
Did you ever dream of flying? Not sardines in a holiday jet, but free, soaring like a bird, looking down on the farms, the fields, the villages, turning in the sky...your wings are real! They are waiting for you, not far away. This is what we do every day, (if it isn't raining!) at the club situated between Stratford and Banbury. And it doesn't cost the earth.

You will know, from your very first flight, if this is what you dreamed about. I knew, all right. Of course I was apprehensive, the first time. "This is it!!" as we gathered speed for the takeoff. And when the glider lifted into the air and flew over the road, I knew that this bird was made to fly, and I was a part of it.
They were surprised when I came back down and signed up immediately to fly again. And again and again, and three months later, by myself at last I was flying solo. I was looking down on the motorway and all those silly fools in fancy cars stuck in traffic, going nowhere. What a feeling! I can fly!

Of course the soaring is best March through October, when thermals are generated by the sun heating the ground, and the gliders can ascend to 3 or 4 thousand feet, up to the clouds, and fly across country. In Britain, unlike the continent, our weather is flyable all the year round. Our basic training, practicing our takeoffs and our landings can be done in the winter as well, and when the wind is blowing from the northwest, we find rising air on the ridge at Edgehill, and some intrepid pilots have stayed up more than five hours in February! Brrrr!!!

Now the reason for all this delight is low cost at Shenington Gliding Club is quite simple. We get high with a little help from our friends. We are a band of brothers and sisters, who help out at the club. We take turns driving the winch, the retrieve vehicles, painting the wings, painting the clubhouse, cooking, sweeping, sanding, getting the gliders out in the morning and putting them away at night, inspired by the rule that the bar does not open until the hangar doors are closed! Its like the old wartime spirit is still alive at Shenington, we all muck in together.

Of course there are costs involved; maintenance and insurance are two of the main items. Keeping the clubhouse warm, basic items like plumbing and electricity; after all, its just like home for us. But we are always happy to see new people; have a mug of tea, we are happy to explain how we operate, the layout of the airfield, the wind direction of the day, the weather. From March through October a professional winch driver and instructors keeps things going smoothly Monday through Friday,

Young people, learn to fly very quickly, and often go on to become professional pilots, very likely the BA or Easyjet pilot in the sharp end of your holiday jet first took off in a glider, and learned to understand weather, navigation, and theory of flight before ever having the assistance of an engine. People who are coping with stressful jobs find gliding the perfect getaway. And in midlife, it is never too late to learn, just takes a little longer. Senior pilots who have kept in practice are still flying in their 70's.

Physical requirements: if you weigh more than 240 pounds, or are over 6 feet 5 inches tall, it is difficult to fit in a glider.; children must wait until they are 14 to start, but can go solo at 16. Some gliders at Shenington are also adapted for hand controls; handicap is no handicap in the air.

And if you know someone who may have dreamed of flying, call the Club Office on 01295 680008 for a gift voucher, or just drop in to meet us. Directions to the club can be found on the website- www.shenington-gliding.co.uk

Written by Mary Meagher