Pilots who fly using a LAPL(A) (e.g. some tug pilots) are reminded that they must comply with FCL.740.A by the 1st October 2026. Pilots must have transitioned their rating to a fixed 24-month validity by this date and had their licence endorsed. Failure to do so would mean the pilot would…

A quote from a pilot: ‘Flying doesn’t always go as planned and whether it’s your own mistake or a circumstantial one, having a properly specified energy absorbing seat cushion installed is as vital as wearing a parachute. I didn’t have one and my consultant estimated that my recovery time would…

Skydiving /  parachuting takes place at DZs identified in the AIP and on charts and temporarily elsewhere as notified by NOTAMs. To help raise the awareness of skydiving activity, the BGA has liaised with British Skydiving and subsequently published a glider pilot self-briefing that highlights the key issues. You can…

The BGA publishes guidance on the use of emergency parachutes, e.g. thinking ahead to aid decision making. The guidance includes a Bailout Advice video briefing by G Dale, a highly experienced soaring coach who has experienced an emergency bailout following a mid-air collision. The guidance is published under ‘Emergency’ on…

Some weeks ago the BGA wrote to clubs advising a need to assure themselves re arrangements for emergency parachute repacking. This immediately followed a report to the BGA from a member club describing how the repacking services they had agreed with Tim Moran (TPF services) were allegedly not delivered, i.e….

The CAAs CAP413 radiotelephony manual has been updated. The update includes guidance on radio calls at unattended airfields, e.g. airfields without an air traffic service. You can view the current and updated CAP413 here.

Click here to access the OSTIV worldwide survey about injuries in glider accidents. We hope you haven’t been injured this way, but if know someone who has, whether or not they are still in gliding, then if appropriate please invite them to complete the questionnaire. The purpose is to discover…

The 40th FAI World Gliding Championships for the Open, 18 Metre and 20 Metre Multi-seat classes will be held at Rudniki airfield near Częstochowa, in southern Poland, from 16 to 30 May 2026. The event is organised by the Częstochowa Aeroclub and will bring together up to 120 competitors from…

The SPL training course resources and documents links have been updated. You can view the SPL training course here.

As part of the BGA’s ongoing conversations with airfields and their operators to inform our safe shared airspace guidance for glider pilots, it has become clear that many of those operators would benefit from knowing more about gliding activity. The BGA has produced and published an aeroplane and helicopter pilot…