Soaring Over Sussex

Have you occasionally looked up and seen those sleek, silent gliders soar gracefully over Steyning or Storrington or even along the South Downs? Do you ever wonder where they’re from or what it would be like to soar in them and with the birds in silent flight?
Gliding is a sport most people can experience and provides adventures which are hard to beat. It’s a sport which the UK has especially excelled at with a number of recent world champions!

Gliding above the South Downs dates back to 1909 when the UK’s first soaring flight was made near Amberley. It helped mark the start of an incredible sport that would spread all over the world.

The Southdown Gliding Club was one of the first gliding clubs in the UK and dates back to 1930 where it was based on the Downs near Lewes.  It eventually moved to Parham Airfield, Storrington in 1974 and is now one of the largest and best equipped voluntary-run gliding clubs in Britain. In January 2009, it raised sufficient funds to buy the airfield and so can now plan a more secure future. The club owns a fleet of state-of-the-art gliders including three 2-seaters specifically used for training, 2 single-seater gliders and a motor glider. It also owns 3 powered aircraft to tow gliders into the air. Many of the members form syndicates and have their own private gliders of which there are around 50 at the club.

Many of the private gliders based there fly some incredible distances using various forms of rising air – thermals (generated by the sun’s energy) and hill lift when northerly winds blow against the South Downs. With skilled pilots, it’s quite common for a glider to fly over 150 miles and stay up all day flying at speeds between 50 to over 100mph. It’s probably the greenest aviation activity around! The longest flight in 2009 from Parham was around 450 miles flying down to the West Country then up to the Midlands before returning to Parham – all in one flight!

The club operates all year round on Wednesdays and Weekends and, as a member, you can learn to fly and get your glider pilots licence . The club uses two-seater training gliders and pilots later progress to flying more advanced single-seat gliders.

Age is no barrier to learning - you just need to be reasonably fit and able to accept instruction. As a member, you receive all training from the club’s qualified instructors following a nationally-approved syllabus. When more experienced, a pilot can receive advanced training to get the skills to fly cross-country.

If you think this is a sport for you or just want to experience a flight in a glider, you can either have a Trial Lesson or go on a One-Day ‘Introduction to Gliding’ course. You can even buy Trial Lesson Vouchers for your friends and family – they make very original presents!

Call Jackie at club’s office 01903 742137 or visit their website www.sgc1.org for more information. Dave Clews - Southdown Gliding Club

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