Supporting the next generation of inspectors

An appeal to support and develop young people’s aircraft maintenance skills, experience and qualification

✈️ Help us to inspire the next generation of gliding inspectors

Exhilarating, affordable, and inclusive, gliding is a sport enjoyed by people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Across the UK, volunteer-run gliding clubs offer far more than just the thrill of flight—they provide opportunities for personal growth and skill development. Whether it’s competition flying, aerobatics, launching gliders, or maintaining vintage aircraft, the possibilities for involvement are vast.

The British Gliding Association (BGA) represents and supports gliding nationwide. We assist clubs with airfield development, instructor training, junior gliding programmes, and the continued airworthiness of gliders. However, due to regulatory changes and an ageing volunteer base, we face an urgent challenge: recruiting and training the next generation of BGA Inspectors to ensure the safe and legal maintenance of our gliders.

🔧 The inspector challenge

BGA Inspectors are the backbone of UK gliding. Their expertise ensures that gliders remain safe and airworthy—an essential service relied upon by clubs and private owners alike.

  • We currently have fewer than 300 authorised inspectors, and the number is declining.
  • 76% are over the age of 60, and only 8% are women.
  • We lose around 10 inspectors annually to retirement.

Since 2020, UK regulations require most BGA Inspectors to hold a Part-66L licence to certify their work. This licence applies across all UK-registered aircraft—from single-seat gliders to commercial jets. While existing inspectors received grandfather rights, new candidates must complete:

  • A series of theoretical exams
  • Supervised practical training with a qualified sponsor
  • A final practical assessment

This process is often seen as complex, demanding, and costly. Since the licence requirement was introduced, only one new inspector has successfully qualified. As a result, our licensed inspector pool is shrinking, threatening the maintenance capacity of over 2,000 UK-registered gliders.

🛠️ The ‘Next Generation Inspector’ initiative

We’re actively encouraging a new, diverse demographic to explore the career potential, confidence, and personal development that inspector training offers. Our “Next Generation Inspector” initiative includes:

  • New, BGA-led theoretical coaching
  • Guidance for all involved with practical training of new inspectors
  • Guidance on paperwork and certification

We are also working with the Civil Aviation Authority to encourage proportionate training and examination requirements. The financial burden remains a significant barrier for potential candidates and estimated out-of-pocket costs for trainees are:

  • Exam fees (payable to the CAA) – £320
  • Licence fee (payable to the CAA) – £435
  • Personal tools and equipment – £900
  • Manuals and other learning resources – £350
  • Consumables for practicing techniques – £350
  • Travel and subsistence – £450

Estimated total per trainee – £2805

🤝 How you can help

We urgently need to attract at least 10 new inspectors annually to sustain our cohort. To make this possible, we’re establishing a dedicated bursary fund to support five new trainees each year. This fund will help ensure that financial constraints don’t prevent talented young engineers from gaining the skills and qualifications needed to support glider pilots and clubs across the UK. We would like to provide five bursaries each year from an annually donated total bursary pot of £15000. In doing so, we would be pleased to promote donors.

Your support can help us to develop young aircraft engineers – and build a stronger, more sustainable future for UK gliding.

For further information or any other contact relating to this appeal, please contact BGA CEO Pete Stratten at pete@gliding.co.uk