Some pilots may be surprised that they can legally carry out and certify limited maintenance on their sailplane, i.e. without the need for a BGA inspector. You can read more about pilot-owner maintenance privileges here.

Congratulations Elfed, who flew solo on the 21st June! Elfed is a wheelchair user who has been a member of the Midland GC since around the beginning of this year. He has been undergoing training in the club’s new K21 which has adapted hand controls for pilots who cannot otherwise…

As part of a project to develop a spine-shell with the aim of protecting glider pilots from spinal injuries in accidents, female and male pilots are being scanned at Loughborough University on the 31st July and 1st August. A few more female pilots are needed otherwise the results for females would…

Bidford Gliding and Flying Club is the latest BGA club to be WInG accredited! You can read more about Women and Inclusivity in Gliding (WInG) here.

Infringements of controlled airspace are potentially very dangerous. Although very few of the many infringements of controlled airspace in the UK each year involve gliders, any airspace infringement by a glider pilot damages the reputation of gliding. A glider that was being flown from a wave site that hosts visitors…

It is our sad duty to report that Roger Quiller Barrett, a Vice-President of the BGA, passed away on the 26th of June. Roger’s interests in addition to gliding included ballooning, photography, publishing, world travel and more. Roger’s family has advised the BGA that there will be a celebration of…

Following a survey of BGA clubs on the topic of disability gliding, we’re pleased to announce that Yvonne Elliott has taken on the voluntary role of Disability Advocate. Yvonne and others are working on a project with disability flying experts to develop resources that will help all clubs grow their…

Inter-University gliding competition is over!! It was a fantastic week and the home team Loughborough won, with Leicester at a close second. The final scores were: 1st – Loughborough 6200 points 2nd – Leicester 6144 points 3rd – Southampton 3826 points 4th – Buckminster 2874 points 5th – UWE 2517…

The vast majority of aerotows are uneventful. A take-off decision point, factors affecting take-off and climb performance, landing area options in the event of a problem, and communicating about minimum safe speeds are all considerations for both the glider pilot and the tug pilot. Helpful guidance, aimed at glider pilots…

There are two FI(S) refresher seminars now available for booking: 10th and 11th July 2024 7th and 8th August 2024