John Garrett, the Senior Regional Examiner in the Thames Valley BGA region, is stepping down from the volunteer role after many years of excellent support to clubs and individuals. The SRE in the Thames Valley BGA region with effect from the 1st October is Ryan Berry from London GC.

The last BGA instructor course of 2025 – and the last under self-regulation – was completed this week at The Gliding Centre.  Thanks as ever to the course coaches and the host club. Congratulations to all the newly trained instructors in 2025!  Thanks for getting involved – and have fun….

The 2026 WGC Team vote for the 18m, 20m, and Open classes closed yesterday. The results are as follows: Open Class: Tim Jenkinson Andy Davis Russell Cheetham Toby Freeland Kim Tipple 18m Class: Leigh Wells Derren Francis Matthew Davis Ian MacArthur Philip Jones 20m Class: Steve Jones Matt Cook Andy…

Up until 15th September 2025, clubs that chose to deliver limited and specific SFCL training to support their pilots could become sites within the BGA facilitated Declared Training Organisation (DTO). We are pleased to advise directly via CFIs earlier this week and this news item that previous ‘BGA DTO site’…

The British Gliding Association is the governing body for the sport of gliding in the UK and members are the gliding clubs that provide gliding facilities for their members – clubs that are spread throughout the UK from the north of Scotland to the SW tip of England and which…

Not a UV problem, but certainly one that could ruin your day. Solar farms are easy to spot from the air – but during construction they may not be obvious. The image shows a solar farm ringed in red under construction with completed structures ready for panels to be fitted….

These online seminars support those involved with helping to maintain gliders at their club or to maintain their own glider. As well as being helpful to pilots and clubs, it’s an ideal step for anyone planning to be a BGA inspector. The course aims to give more knowledge (especially with…

The BGA Medical requirements have been updated to align with the SPL and the related medical requirements. Pilots flying non-Part 21 gliders continue to be supported with essentially unchanged BGA medical requirements. You can view the BGA medical requirements here.

The amended exemption that permits student pilots training for an SPL to fly as pilot in command using a CAA Pilot Medical Declaration (PMD) has been published by the CAA. You can view the CAA exemption here. 

Scottish Airspace Modernisation is a coordinated programme of three Airspace Change Proposals (ACP’s) sponsored by Glasgow Airport, Edinburgh Airport and NATS with the quoted shared aim of delivering quicker, quieter, more resilient and environmentally cleaner journeys to meet the aim of the Government’s Airspace Modernisation Strategy. Glasgow Airport and Edinburgh…