See the land in a completely different way – from above – whilst experiencing the silent drifting through the air in a way that only a glider can offer.
On Sunday 21st August Shalbourne Gliding Club will be holding an Open Day. Between 10am and 6pm the Club will be opening its gates to the public.
Members will be delighted to share their passion for gliding and show visitors around the aircraft. Weather permitting, trial flights will be available on a first come first served basis. These flights will cost £40 which covers a single launch and up to 15 minutes flying time.
If you go up, you may connect with a thermal and find yourself sharing it with one of the many local Buzzards or Red Kites. The airfield offers little shelter, so remember sun protection and bring plenty to eat and drink. Shalbourne Gliding Club can be found four miles south of Hungerford near to SN8 3RJ. Please visit shalbournegliding.co.uk or ‘Shalbourne Gliding’ on Facebook for more information.
Gliding is a very long established activity, and extremely popular here and in many other countries across the World.
In the United Kingdom there are eighty gliding clubs, all with an enviable safety records, which have about two thousand gliders and around ten thousand pilots. That’s almost the same as the number of British commercial pilots. Shalbourne has about 100 members including university students and families.
Although many participate Gliding is a little known activity, but in terms of outdoor sports it ticks all of the boxes. Nearly all clubs own gliders that are shared by their members so the cost is minimal. Some pilots fly solo into their 80s, others are as young as 14. Camaraderie is paramount, as everyone’s lives are literally in each other’s hands. Anyone regardless of race, gender, or disability can fly in a glider and there are gliding airfields all around the country. For a few this is the first step towards becoming a professional pilot, for others a challenge to compete, but for most it is a healthy and exciting hobby.
On a ridge above the village of Shalbourne, overlooking the Vale of Pewsey there is a field which mostly belongs to hares, deer and skylarks. But from time to time there can be heard the gentle rush of a passing glider. That is home to Shalbourne Gliding Club. Sunday 21 August, your introduction to the silent world of clouds and the birds.
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