BGA Operational Regulations
Updated following the 12th August 2025 EGM.
1. Membership – Compliance with BGA Regulations. All clubs on admission to membership agree to accept and comply with the BGA regulations and, if found to be in breach, may face disciplinary action, including expulsion, as deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee.
2. Regulations. Nothing in BGA Operational Regulations is intended to conflict with the law, for example as applicable to airworthiness, operations, pilot licensing, pilot medical, and insurance, the compliance of which is the duty of all clubs, pilots and owners.
3. Site Visits. All clubs shall allow site visits by BGA officials for safety and regulatory checks on their operations.
4. Logging Club Flying. All clubs shall keep such logs and flight-time sheets as required to compile an accurate record of the club’s flying operations.
5. Airspace Information. Clubs must ensure that student pilots have access to current navigational information concerning temporary hazards and permanent changes.
6. Insurance. All gliders shall be covered by insurance that shall be extended to cover the legal liability of the pilot while flying or otherwise operating the aircraft and the legal liability of the individual members of the insured club / syndicate to each other. In the case of two seat gliders, the minimum combined liability insurance shall be £2,000,000.
7. Membership – Requirement. A person may not be flown in an aircraft owned or operated by a BGA club unless they become a member of that club.
8. Thermal Circling Direction. An aircraft joining another in a thermal shall circle in the same direction as that established by the first.
9. Cloud Flying. No glider shall enter cloud unless all its occupants are wearing parachutes and have been instructed in their use. No glider shall enter cloud unless the pilot has announced that intention by radio
10. Reporting Damage/Defects/Heavy Landings. Pilots must report damage, defects or heavy landings to an instructor or a qualified aircraft inspector before the aircraft is flown again.
11. Qualification to fly cross-country (non-Part 21 gliders). The pilot in command of a non-Part 21 glider may not deliberately undertake a cross-country flight unless they hold the BGA Cross-Country Endorsement or an SPL.
12. Medical. Anyone who flies in an aircraft operated at a BGA club must comply with the relevant law and acceptable medical standards as described and updated from time to time in the BGA publication ‘Pilot Medical Requirements’.
13. Chief Flying Instructor: Requirement. A club which accepts a member without a BGA Bronze endorsement or SPL and or performs instruction at any stage from pre-solo to BGA Bronze badge or SPL inclusive must have a Chief Flying Instructor (CFI).
14. Chief Flying Instructor: Qualification and Authority. To hold the position of CFI, the individual must hold an SFCL Flight Instructor (Sailplanes) certificate with BGA CFI endorsement. Subject to any applicable law and club requirements, the CFI shall have authority concerning the gliding club flying operations.
15. Clubs that do not perform instruction. Clubs which do not have a CFI must appoint a Senior Pilot who can provide guidance to other club pilots, and to whom club operational flying matters may be addressed.
16. Passenger Carrying. Pilots carrying another person in a club glider must hold a valid SFCL SPL and be authorised to carry passengers by the CFI. Introductory flights paid for by the passenger may only be carried out by instructors or by SFCL SPL holders with a BGA Introductory Flight Pilot endorsement. Pilots carrying out passenger or introductory flights must be in current practice and be familiar with the type of glider and method of launch.
17. Instruction – Minimum Qualification. Gliding instruction may only be given by instructors holding a current BGA Full, Assistant or Basic Instructor rating, or SFCL Flight Instructor (Sailplane) certificate. A Basic Instructor may only carry out instructional flights under the supervision of an instructor with a higher rating. From 30 Sep 2025: Instruction – minimum qualification. Gliding instruction may only be given by instructors holding a valid SFCL instructor certificate.
18. Supervision of Training and Passenger Flights. Operations by Basic Instructors and Introductory Flight Pilots, and of solo flight by unqualified pilots shall be appropriately supervised by an instructor holding an SFCL Flight Instructor (Sailplanes). Instructors must be trained for the additional responsibilities.
19. Instruction. All flying instruction shall be given in accordance with the approved syllabus and provided by appropriately qualified instructors who hold valid BGA instructor membership. Note: during the change to SFCL, a ‘valid BGA instructor membership’ is deemed to be a valid BGA instructor rating.
20. Aerobatics Training. All gliders used for aerobatics training (excluding spinning) must be fitted with a serviceable accelerometer visible to all occupants
21. Launching Equipment Inspection. All equipment used for launching, including the winch guillotine, must be inspected each day before use.
22. Weak Links – Cable Launching. A weak link, not exceeding the breaking load approved by the body responsible for the glider’s certification shall be used on every winch or auto-tow launch.
23. Launching Rings. The glider end of all launching cables must be fitted with linked rings designed to fit the release mechanism of the glider. Distorted or cracked rings may not be used.
24. Launching Precautions. The launching cable must not be attached to the glider until the pilot is ready to be launched, and the launching signals must not commence until the projected take-off path is clear.
25. Wire launching parachute and strop assembly. To minimise the risk of interference with the glider during a wire launch, a suitable launching cable parachute, weak link position, and strop assembly must be used.
26. Precautions While Working on a Winch Cable. While work is being carried out on the cable, it should not be possible for the engine to turn the cable drum, nor should any cable return mechanism be used, unless additional safety measures are in place to prevent injury.
27. Guillotines. All winches must be fitted with cable or rope cutting guillotines.
28. Minimum Joint Aerotow Experience. The sum of the tows made by the tug pilot and the glider pilot, in their respective capacities, shall not be less than six.
29. Tug Pilot Responsibility. It is the responsibility of the tug pilot to ensure that the glider has released.
30. Weak Links – Aerotow. An aerotow rope or weak link, if fitted, shall have a strength not exceeding the lesser of the maximum breaking load determined by the body responsible for certification of the tug aircraft and the maximum breaking load approved by the body responsible for certification of the glider.
31. Launch Signalling. A reliable and unambiguous signalling system shall be used for all launches.
Signal – Aerotow Release. The tug pilot orders the glider pilot to release immediately by rocking the tug laterally.
Signal – Unable to Release on Aerotow. The glider pilot either communicates the problem to the tug pilot by radio, or alternatively signals ‘unable to release’ by flying out to the left side of the tug as far as is practicable and rocking the glider laterally.
Signal – Excessive Drag on Aerotow. The tug pilot either communicates the problem to the glider pilot by radio, or alternatively signals that the glider is producing excessive drag (for example the glider airbrakes are open, or the drogue parachute is deployed) by waggling the rudder.
32. Airworthiness. All aircraft flying at BGA club sites shall comply with the applicable airworthiness and maintenance requirements.
33. Identification Markings. All gliders must have BGA approved identification markings displayed on each side of the fin and/or rudder in a substantially vertical plane and as large as practicable. If this is not possible, they may be placed on the fuselage.
34. Maintenance. In all cases other than pilot-owner maintenance, certification of release to service on a Part 21 or non-Part 21 aircraft within the BGA airworthiness organisation must be carried out by a suitably qualified BGA inspector.
35. Inspection Before Flight. All gliders operated from a BGA club site shall be inspected before flying on each day by a pilot who has been approved to carry out a daily inspection, who must sign to confirm that they have completed the daily inspection including positive control check and that the glider is serviceable.
36. Reporting Accident & Incidents. All accidents and all incidents must be reported on the form available from the BGA within one month of the occurrence. If the accident is of sufficient severity to be reported to the AAIB, the BGA must be informed of its occurrence within 24 hours.