Handbook
Airfield Map
KEY:
1 Parachute room
2 Staff office
3 Staff office
4 Gents bunkroom
5 Family bedroom (en-suite)
6 Briefing room
7 BAR
8 Catering kitchen
9 Ladies, Gents & Disabled WC
10 Members crew room
11 Main club office
12 MT Workshop
13
14
15
16
17
Gents WC, Shower
Ladies WC, Shower
Battery room
Ladies WC, Shower
Control Tower (closed)
Bicester Gliding Centre Handbook
Updated August 2015
Bicester Gliding Centre Handbook
Welcome to Bicester!
We all fly because we love it! Many people enjoy seeing the world from a different viewpoint, and with so
many different things we can do in the air, all the various challenges and fun that gliding offers - there is
something for everyone! As a club we pride ourselves on our friendly atmosphere. A lot of people have
observed that it is just like a big family at the airfield! We have a very active social scene – our bar is open after
every flying day, and we organise various events (gliding and non-gliding related) throughout the year.
Gliding – what it’s all about
Soaring like a bird
To stay up, gliders need to find air that is going up at least as fast as the glider is descending. Here we can learn
from the experts... on a summer's day, you can see birds circle upwards without flapping their wings. They are
"thermalling". A thermal is a rising current of air that has been heated by the sun more than the surrounding
air. Circling within this rising air allows birds - and gliders - to go upwards. How do we know where the
thermals are? Often clouds form at the top of the thermal, where the rising air cools and condenses – so we
aim for the clouds! We also use educated guess work, based on how we imagine ground features below are
warming up.
The other commonly used way of staying up is using “ridge lift”. When the wind hits a hill, it gets forced
upwards. Again, it is this upward movement of air that allows gliders to stay airborne. With a long ridge, it's
possible to do large distances without turning, generally flying fast and low to stay in the best "lift" close to the
ridge. Gliding expeditions to fly in the hills or mountains are a real adventure!
Flying Cross Country
Now you know you can stay up (given the right conditions!), you can use this to go places or go "crosscountry". You use these areas of lift to gain the height to move forwards to the next thermal on track. In
competitions people set tasks – routes marked on the map of a set distance – and race around the course, like a
time trial. The longest flight in the UK was done like this - just over 1000 kilometres were covered in the flight
which took about 12 hours!
Getting your solo wings
There is nothing more thrilling than flying a glider alone for the first time! With regular practice, gradually you
will find you are doing more of the flying than your instructor. Once you have covered the syllabus and are
signed off, it’s time to spread your wings and fly on your own! Once you have gone solo, there are various
badge qualifications to work towards. With experience, you will progress from two-seater to single seat
gliders.
Your membership here
As a member here, you fly at our standard club rates, which are significantly cheaper than the cost of a trial
flight. You have full access to our facilities and welcome at all of our club events. Within the club, we have
several different membership categories to suit different people. Below is a rough guide to these.
 Full: Open to those aged over 25 at the start of the membership year. Full members are allowed to keep
private gliders, trailers and caravans (space permitting) on site.
 Junior: Open to those aged between 18 and 25 at the start of membership year. Junior members pay a
reduced membership fee and are allowed to keep private gliders, trailers and caravans (space permitting)
on site.
 Cadet: Open to those aged 14-18, or younger if a child of a member. Cadet members pay a reduced
membership and reduced flying fees.
 University: Bicester is the host airfield for members of the Oxford University Gliding Club. University
members pay reduced flying fees.
 Temporary Day: Open to guests of members and members of other UK gliding clubs. Temporary
members pay a small membership fee for the day, and fly at standard rates (as full members).
Flying Days
We fly all year round – weather permitting! All of our instructors at weekends are volunteers, so club
members do not have to pay any additional cost for instruction: just the launch and glider hire. You will be
expected to help out on the airfield, and you will be shown how to do things. General tasks include getting
gliders out in the morning; hooking on winch cables; keeping the logs; retrieving winch cables; and putting
gliders away at the end of the day. It’s all very much a team effort – with everyone working together, you will
get to know people quickly!
During the summer season (normally early April until the end of October) the airfield is open every day until
5pm or later. During the winter months we try to keep the airfield open 7 days a week, providing it is flyable,
until 4:30pm.
Winch launch, aerotow and motorglider flying are all normally available on any flying day. Winch and aerotow
launches are available on a first-come first served basis at weekends; however the motorglider needs to be
booked in advance through the office.
If you find you get on particularly well with certain instructors, why not ask them when they are likely to be
around next so you can arrange to fly with them again.
There is a kitchen on the bus so you won’t go hungry. There is always a good choice of items available,
including cooked breakfasts, sandwiches, burgers, hot and cold drinks, cakes etc. You are also welcome to
bring your own food if you prefer.
In the evenings we open the bar, a good place to relax after a busy day on the airfield and have a chat. Often
people stay around until late and get a takeaway delivered!
Weekend Booking Scheme
At weekends we run an on-line booking system called DutyMan, allowing members to book one of 8 slots: 4 in
the morning and 4 in the afternoon. Two gliders and two instructors are dedicated to flying with these booked
in members, giving 2 members per instructor/glider. All new members are encouraged to add their email
address to the system to allow them to book these slots. As a guideline, those booking the morning slots should
arrive by 8:30am, and for the afternoon slots arrive by 12:30pm.
If not booked in, there is an ad-hoc flying list on the day based on a first come first served basis – add your
name to that as soon as you arrive, and we will fit you in when your turn comes round.
General Club Flying – mid week
During the summer season, there is a staff instructor available to fly club members. There are 4 slots per day
(two in the morning and two in the afternoon). These slots can be booked through the office for a small fee.
Club members who book these slots should either be here for 9am to help the duty team set the airfield up
ready for flying, or stay for the end of flying to help pack away.
Before you fly… Be prepared!
Fit to fly?
Are you very tired or hung-over? Do you have a bad cold? If you are feeling under the weather, it is best not to
fly until you are fully recovered.
Clothing
The importance of suitable clothing cannot be stressed enough. In winter wear waterproof boots or sturdy
trainers (to keep your feet dry and warm) and a warm jumper under a jacket to keep the wind out. In winter,
you will need gloves and a warm hat. Skirts are not sensible with parachutes – comfortable trousers or shorts
are essential. Most pilots wear sunglasses even in winter – it is quite bright when flying. Summer essentials are
a hat and sunscreen.
Bicester Gliding Centre Starter Pack
This is essential for all new members learning to fly. Contained in this are:
 Progress Card & Log Book: You record details of every flight in your log book, and instructors use your
progress card to see what stage your flying is at.
 BGA Recommended Training Manual, “From Passenger to Pilot”: This book is an excellent reference
guide and links in with your flying training and progress card.
You are also encouraged to download the on-line “BGA Requirements and Guidance” document which covers
the essentials rules of the air for UK gliding.
Camera
If you ask your instructor, they will let you take pictures from the air during your flights!
Money Matters
Flying Costs – A Rough Guide at time of publication (May 2015).
The current prices are given on our web site (www.bicestergliding.com/fees.htm) but may change at any
time. As a guide, the prices given below are for Full members (reduced rates apply to Cadet and University
members)
Winch Launch: £8.00
Aerotow Launch: 1500ft £27.75; 2000ft £32.00; 3000ft £40.50; 4000ft £49.00
Glider Hire: Between 26p to 44p per minute, depending on glider type
Motor Glider Hire: £75.00 per hour
Paying for your flying
Your flying account is just like a bank account, unique to your membership number. You put money into it,
and we take money out for your flights. The club rule is that your account must be kept in the black (positive)
at all times. If your account goes more than £50 (for full members) or £20 (for Junior, Cadet and University
members) into the negative, you will be refused further flights until you top up your account!
Before you go home you need to make note of the number of launches you take, and the minutes of each flight.
Calculate the total (winch launch plus minutes) and pay accordingly.
When the office is open, we can take cash, cheque or credit card payments.
We also accept payments by electronic transfer if you have internet banking.
Our account details are: Windrushers Gliding Club, HSBC Bicester, Sort Code 40-10-16, Account Number
61379089.
Please quote your membership number and ‘flying fees’ in the details box.
Alternatively, give your card details to the office and we will hold the details online with SagePay in a secure
manner and automatically collect any money owed the next day when the logs are processed.
Our Aircraft
We have several types of glider owned by the club, available to all of our members. Whilst you are learning,
you will be flying in the two-seaters. After going solo and reaching the required standard, you will progress to
flying the club single-seaters.
There is also a motor-glider (this has an engine and propeller like a small powered plane, but with long wings
like a glider) which we use for practicing circuits and field landings.
The gliding club owns two powered aircraft which we use as ‘tug’ planes to do aerotow launches. Various
other types of small powered planes also fly from the airfield, which are privately owned by club members.
Anatomy of a Glider
Flying the Glider – Controls
Stick
Controls both: Elevator, which allows the glider to pitch up/down.
Ailerons, which bank (roll) the glider around in a turn.
Rudder pedals
The rudder ‘yaws’ the glider around the middle, pointing the nose to the side while it flies straight forwards.
Airbrake lever
Airbrakes are normally used when landing, to come down at a steep angle without building up too much speed.
Cable release knob
Allows the pilot to release the hook on the glider attaching the winch cable or tow rope used to launch it.
Flying the Glider – Instruments
There are several instrument dials in the cockpit – the most important ones are listed below:
Air Speed Indicator
This measures your speed flying through the air
(not relative to the ground, because of the effect of
wind speeds). It is especially vital to have enough
speed when taking off or landing. This measures in
knots (1 knot = 1.1 mph).
Variometer (vario)
Measures the vertical speed up or down, also in
knots. This allows you to find rising air more easily.
Most varios have a beeping sound, so you don’t
have to keep looking at it.
Altimeter
Displays how high you are in feet.
The Launch Point
The Launch Point is where all the flying happens from on the airfield. Gliders take off from and land here,
either side of the bus. At the front of the bus, the duty team organise who is flying, and signal to the winch
using radios and lights on the bus. This is our ‘control’.
The Duty Instructor is in charge of everything that happens on the airfield, and their role is to ensure that safe
procedures are followed. They have an assistant called a Duty Pilot, who organises instructors for pupils,
directs who will fly next and allocates tasks such as winch driving and cable retrieving. When you get to the
launch point, put your name on the flying list and tell the Duty Pilot (who organises which pupil’s turn it is to
fly next.)
There are plenty of seats on the bus (especially useful if you want to stay in the warm or in the shade!) We also
have a kitchen set up inside – there are hot and cold drinks available every flying day, and at weekends a
volunteer provides an excellent range of cooked food, sandwiches and snacks.
However you should then try to help out on the ground rather than staying on the bus all day - gliding is only
possible if people volunteer to help with the tasks that are needed to keep the airfield running! You will be
shown how to do various tasks – keeping the log sheet, moving gliders around, hooking on cables etc.
If you are ever unsure or have not been shown how to do something, please ask a member and they will help
you.
The Launch Point:
SAFETY - The Winch & Cables
The airfield is set up with the launch point bus at one end of the field, and the winch at the other end. The
winch cables run between them, the entire length of the field. The cables are steel and attached to a very
powerful engine in the winch - so they can be very dangerous.
Always keep clear of the cables while a launch is in progress – behind the front of the bus is best. There is a
warning buzzer on the bus when launching is taking place, and the lights on the front of the bus will be flashing
to signal the winch.
Although the two winch cables are run independently, it is possible for them to have been crossed, or the
winch driver to make a mistake and select the wrong cable for launching. Because of this, you should stay clear
of BOTH cables when a launch is taking place, not just the one being used.
If you want to be shown how to hook the cables to the gliders and launch them, then you can ask someone at
the launch point to show you.
SAFETY - Around the Airfield
The launch point is generally where gliders both launch and land. They will land on both sides of the bus, and
are pretty quiet. If you need to cross the airfield, you should ask someone to go with you, until you know how
the airfield operates enough to get safely across yourself. Gliders will normally circuit around the airfield to
land, but they can approach from anywhere in some circumstances. You should check that there are no gliders
on approach to land before you cross the field.
If you are half way across the field and you notice a glider landing, stand still. The pilot will have seen you, and
there is nothing worse than trying to avoid someone who is running around trying to avoid you! However if it
is too late for the pilot to do anything, or it still looks like they are flying towards you, get out of the way
quickly!
If you are at the winch end of the field, keep well clear of the winch if a launch is in progress - it is
recommended you stand at least 15 metres away, or get inside a vehicle. The cables can land in unexpected
places if the glider pilot releases it suddenly.
When driving on the airfield, the same rules apply - you should always check for gliders and planes landing
before crossing the landing area. Aircraft always have right of way over ground vehicles, even aircraft moving
around on the ground.
As well as winch launching, we also aerotow using powered aircraft, and operate a motor-glider. Both of these
have propellers on the front, which you should stay well clear of when they are operating. Never hang anything
off a propeller on the ground, or attempt to spin it, as it may start if the controls in the cockpit have been left
in the wrong position.
And most importantly…
If you hear someone shout STOP, do so immediately whatever you may be doing. Likewise, if you see a
potentially dangerous situation, shout STOP. The stop hand signal when launching a glider is a raised hand.
Care of Equipment
Preparing the glider for flying
Before a glider can fly it has to have a Daily Inspection. Please make sure that if you are taking a glider out onto
the airfield, the Daily Inspection has been carried out – this is a thorough set of checks to ensure the glider is in
good condition and that everything is working properly. This is noted in the Daily Inspection book for the
particular glider, which can be found in the Glider Folders on the shelves near the computer in Reception. The
Daily Inspection should only be carried out by qualified pilots (usually instructors) so you should not attempt
this until you have been approved to do so.
Moving gliders around by hand
Steering the glider while on the ground is done by one person on the into-wind wing tip. There should only
ever be one person doing this job, but it may be necessary to change wings halfway through a manoeuver. If
asked to do this, the person steering will say "Your Wing", and once you have a secure grip on the opposite
wing tip, you should reply "My Wing". This ensures you both know who is in control, so informs the person
previously steering when it is safe to let go.
If the glider is only going to be moved a short distance it is easier to turn it round and push it backwards with a
wing-tip walker. The best places to push are the leading edge of the wing near to the fuselage. Places that
should NEVER be pushed or pulled on are the canopy, the thin trailing edges of the wings, the rudder and
elevator as these are fragile structures and are expensive to repair.
When walking around gliders, don't step over wings on the ground (just in case you slip and fall on it!).
Canopies should be treated carefully when opening and closing them as they are fragile and expensive. They
should never be left open unattended as they can slam shut and break even in the lightest of winds.
Please do not attempt to move a tug plane unless you have been shown how.
Towing gliders out to the airfield
Gliders can be towed out to the airfield (and back again!) behind a vehicle using a tow rope which is attached to
the belly hook (where winch cables are hooked on).
When towing a glider out with a vehicle, one person holds a wingtip to steer and one person walks just in front
of the wing by the cockpit, to keep the tension on the rope so that the glider does not move forwards and run
into the back of the tow vehicle.
When the glider is in the right place, the tow rope needs to be released. You must do this by opening the
canopy and pulling the yellow release knob. Never reach through the window to do this – if the glider moves
while your arm is inside the cockpit you will hurt yourself and damage the canopy.
After Flying
Gliders need to be towed back and put back in the hangar at the end of the day – please stay to help with this.
If there are lots of flies or dirt on the glider, it needs to be washed first. There will be instructors or
experienced members supervising who will tell you whereabouts in the hangar the glider needs to go.
Parachutes
Be careful with the parachutes – they are life-saving equipment!
Never put a parachute on the ground - they can absorb moisture or be trodden on - which may cause damage.
There is a place on the bus you can put spare parachutes.
After a flying day, parachutes need to be taken out of the glider and put back in the parachute room overnight –
this protects the material by keeping them warm and dry.
When putting on a parachute, always do the leg straps up before the chest strap, and when removing one
release the chest strap first - on a windy day, if you accidently deploy the parachute, you won't want to be
dragged down the airfield by your neck.
Vehicles
The speed limit on the airfield vehicles is 20mph - this is to avoid breaking the springs, which are expensive and
time consuming to replace. Slow down even more on the bumpier parts of the field.
Learning to Fly!
Once you have joined our club and had a great couple of first flights, you are welcome to train with us and you
will be taught by our instructors. All are experienced glider pilots and have undergone various training courses
to ensure they meet the standards of the British Gliding Association. You may find you fly with a number of
different instructors whilst you are learning. This gives you the opportunity to experience different teaching
styles and different ways of explaining the art of flying.
As a pre-solo pilot you are encouraged to purchase a Starter Pack which contains a training card and log book,
along with reference books. The log book will help you to keep track of the amount of flying you have done
and there is space for you to note down your own comments for each flight. The training card allows you and
your instructors to ensure that all aspects of flying are taught sufficiently and successfully. You will show this
card to your instructor every time you fly, so that the instructor knows what stage of training you are at, and
plan what they will teach you this time. You will progress through the training at your own pace, and our
instructors adopt their teaching style to suit your individual needs.
Controlling the glider
The aim of your pre-solo training is twofold. First of all, the aim is for you to understand how the glider and its
controls work so that you are able to control the glider during all stages of the flight, and to deal with any
unusual situations that you could find yourself in. Secondly, the instructors aim to teach you how to fly safely.
This means that you should be able to avoid any situations which could potentially be dangerous, as well as
teaching you how to recover from these.
The first thing you will learn is how gliders fly and how the controls work together. You will be taught how to
coordinate turns and how to maintain a heading (flying in one direction, taking into account the wind). Each
glider has slightly different looking controls so that it is important to familiarise yourself with these before your
flight. When you are able to control the glider in flight your instructors will slowly introduce you to the
launches and landings and you will proceed to do more and more of these until the instructors are happy for
you to do all of this yourself.
Instructors will also aim to teach you how to soar in thermals if there is an opportunity. This will allow you to
stay up in the air rather than just coming back down straight away, and is especially important for improving
your flying once you are solo.
Flying safely
This second part of the training includes checks to be undertaken in each flight, basic airmanship, circuit
planning as well as recoveries from stalls, spins, steep turns and launch failures. All of these will be explained
during your pre-flight briefing, before you learn how to recover from each situation.
Before each flight and before each landing the pilot has to go through a series of checks, called pre-flight checks
and pre-landing checks respectively, in order to ensure the aircraft operates as required and it is safe to fly and
land. These will be introduced to you on your first flight and you will slowly learn to go through them
yourself.
Your instructors will also teach you in basic airmanship in order to avoid any form of collision with another
glider or anything else! There is a set of simple rules each pilot must know before they are allowed to fly solo –
these can be found in a British Gliding Association book called “Laws & Rules”.
After this, your instructors will teach you how to fly a circuit so that you are able to land safely in a specific
place wherever you fly. Once the aircraft has descended to a certain height you join the circuit and adjust it
according to weather conditions and the glider you are in. During the later stages of your training, you will
learn how to recognise if the glider has gone into a stall, spin or spiral dives. You will be taught how to avoid
and recover from these.
Finally, you will be taught how launch failures can occur and how to land the glider safely when they occur.
Since most gliders are launched via winch and there is always a possibility of the cable breaking or the winch
engine losing power, so any pilot needs to know how to recover from these.
Your First Solo!
At the end of your pre-solo training your instructor will ensure you know all there is to know about flying and
controlling the aircraft as well as flying it in a safe manner. As soon as your instructor is happy you are able to
do this all on your own you will experience the joy of your first solo, which is an unforgettable experience and
it will leave you grinning for the rest of the week or longer! You will need a medical certificate before flying
solo – ask in the office for more details.
Beyond Solo
They say 'The sky's the limit', but it really is with gliding. You can opt to stay soaring locally in a wooden
glider, fly hundreds of kilometres cross country in the latest racing gliders, compete in a national or regional
competition, turn your world upside down with aerobatics, have great fun at a week away at a different site or
even become an instructor to pass on what you have learnt to someone new to the sport. There are so many
ways to enjoy it all, and going solo is just the very beginning of a whole new world of fun!
New gliders to fly
Once you have gained a bit of experience in a two seat glider and proven yourself capable, you will be allowed
to convert to your first single seat glider. This will usually be the K8, which is a glider constructed of wood and
fabric, and is effectively a single seat version of the K13. At this stage you can go soaring locally, building up
experience and hours.
You may also convert to another two seat glider, such as the K21 if you first soloed the K13, or vice versa. This
will enable you to build up your experience in fibreglass constructed gliders, which handle a little differently to
wooden ones, and eventually allow you to fly the Astir - your first 'racing' glider. The Astir performs much
better in a straight glide than the K8, but isn't quite as good at climbing in a thermal. The Astir will very likely
be the first glider you fly with a retractable undercarriage, and will get you in the habit of remembering you
have to lower the wheel before landing! As you gain more experience, you will be able to fly more advanced
and higher performance gliders of the type that are flown in national competitions and for long cross country
flights.
Bronze Badge
After going solo, you will be mainly aiming towards Bronze. This requires all sorts of things, including:
 50 solo flights or 20 solo flights + 10 hours solo.
 At least 3 flights with a Full Category rated instructor to perform an air test, looking at things like
coordination, airmanship, lookout, stalls & spins.
 Multiple choice ground exam covering things like air law, airmanship, meteorology, radio use, cross
country planning & navigation, principles of flight.
 Field landing checks - basically a test to make sure you can spot land in an unfamiliar field, without the
use of the altimeter.
At first you will be aiming for your 50 solo flights, with the exams and field landing checks coming later on.
The main idea of the bronze badge is to prepare you to start making cross country flights, getting used to
soaring and landing in unfamiliar fields, and making sure you are generally competent enough to do so!
Cross Country Endorsement
Once you have your Bronze badge, you can then aim for your cross country endorsement, which will allow you
to fly out of gliding range of the airfield. The requirements are:
 A 1 hour soaring flight PLUS a 2 hour soaring flight.
 More advanced field landings.
 Field selection - being able to choose which fields are suitable for landing in and which aren't.
 Navigation exercise - using an aeronautical chart, fly around a pre-determined course of at least 100km
and prove you can navigate using ground features. This is normally done in the motor-glider.
The Cross Country Endorsement is applied to your Bronze badge, and is needed in order to complete your
Silver badge, where one of the requirements is a cross country flight of 50km.
Once you have your Bronze badge with Cross Country Endorsement, you can apply for a glider pilot's licence
from the BGA, which will enable you to train for a private pilot's licence with less training than you would
ordinarily need, and is the gliding equivalent to the standard someone would be at after gaining their powered
licence.
Silver Badge
The silver badge is the first internationally recognised badge, with all the ones before it being UK specific. You
can start aiming for your silver badge as soon as you start soaring on your own, since two of the parts can be
done within gliding range of the airfield. However you need a Bronze badge with a Cross Country
Endorsement in order to complete the 3rd part, which is a cross country flight of 50km. The 3 parts of the
silver badge (commonly known as 'legs') are:
 A 5 hour flight
 A soaring flight with a height gain (AFTER launch) of 1,000m or more (3,281ft).
 A 50km cross country flight
In addition, the height loss between your start and finish fields on your 50km flight cannot be more than 1% of
the total distance flown. This is known as 'the 1% rule'.
Once you have got your silver badge, you are considered 'self-authorising' - which means you can judge for
yourself whether you should fly on a particular day or site without needing a check flight (although some sites
will still require you to take one before you fly there for the first time). It also enables you to enter
competitions, and apply for parts of your Diamond badge.
Badges beyond Silver
There are plenty more badges to aim for after your Silver badge, including the Gold badge (300km flight,
3,000m height gain after launch), Diamond badge (500km flight, 300km pre-declared flight that you must
make all the way around, 5,000m height gain after launch) and cross country 'diplomas' for 100km, 750km and
1,000km flights. Only a handful of people in the UK have flown over 1,000km though!
Expeditions
When you have a bit of experience flying solo, a good option is to try flying at a different site. There are plenty
of opportunities to do this with our club, with our Easter week in Scotland and also some smaller weekends
away. Flying at other sites is not only good fun, but gains you valuable experience at flying different circuits, in
different conditions and getting to know the locals, and is usually also a great weekend or week away that is
something a bit different.
Cross-Country Competitions
It may surprise you, but gliding can be a competitive sport. Ever since man first took to the air, intrepid pilots
have tried to out-do each other. Initially with gliding, it was who could fly the furthest, the highest, and the
longest. However, as gliders got better, speed became important and duration less so: people ended up soaring
hills for days, only stopping when they crashed after falling asleep. Not surprisingly, duration as a competitive
sport has tended to die out. Although there are still distance, speed and height records to be broken, when
competitive gliding is discussed it is usually referring to pilots racing against each other to see who can
complete a cross-country task the fastest.
There are several competitions organised every year at various sites, including regional & national
competitions, competitions for the different classes of gliders (15m, 18m, 20m, open class, club class, standard
class), competitions for the under 26's (National Juniors), competitions for 2 seat gliders only, inter club
competitions, inter-university competitions... the list is endless.
Aerobatics
We've all seen powered aircraft do aerobatics – gliders work in the same way, and are just as strong and
manoeuvrable - just without an engine! This means that an aerobatic flight normally involves taking a high
aerotow and then using the height energy to perform the moves. To get the speed to perform these aerial feats,
rather than using power, you turn your height into speed. There is something very special indeed about the
silent and graceful movement of glider aerobatics.
Become an instructor!
Once you have a Silver badge with 50 solo hours, you can train to become a Basic Instructor, which will allow
you to take members for first flights and basic training. Many pilots do this, in order to give something back to
the sport which gives so much to them. Of course, with even more experience, you can train to be an Assistant
rated instructor or Full rated instructor, who can both teach more and take on more responsibilities than a
Basic instructor.
Staying Overnight on the Airfield
To make the most of a weekend flying, often people stay on the airfield on Saturday night and fly on Sunday
too!
Bunkrooms are available at £5 per night, and bedrooms (including en-suite family room) are also available, all
arranged through the office. Usually this is fine to arrange on the day, but if there is a special event happening it
can be busy so you will need to book in advance. Bedding can be arranged with the office (a few days’ notice
will be required please), or feel free to bring your own.
Contact us
Tel: 01869 252493
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.bicestergliding.com
Address: Bicester Gliding Centre, Bicester Airfield, Skimmingdish Lane, Bicester, Oxon, OX26 5HA
Office opening hours:
Summer (Early April – End October): Every Day 9am – 5pm
Winter (Early November – End March): Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday 9am – 4:30pm
Bicester Gliding Centre
Tel: 01869 252493
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.bicestergliding.com
Bicester Gliding Centre, Bicester Airfield,
Skimmingdish Lane, Bicester, Oxon, OX26 5HA
Office opening hours:
Summer (Early April – End October): Every Day 9am – 5pm
Winter (Early November – End March): Friday to Monday 9am – 4:30pm