BGA medical requirements utilise CAA medical requirements where applicable, including the CAA Pilot Medical Declaration. All pilots and in particular those who fly with a passenger or student pilot are reminded of their responsibility not to fly in the event of a decrease in their fitness with respect to an…

FES equipped gliders are relatively new and unfamiliar to other airfield users who may not appreciate the dangers of the flush seated, self deploying, fast turning and solid propeller blades on the nose of the glider. In addition to any precautions described in the aircraft flight manual, these points can…

It’s that time of year when pilots are heading to ridge, hill and mountain sites to make the most of the soaring opportunities. Visitors to these sites are encouraged to refresh themselves on the site’s rules & local safety tips. There is additional helpful guidance at ‘Managing Flying Risk -…

The Sailplane Pilot Licence (SPL) is an ICAO compliant licence (ICAO compliance depends on the type of medical held by the pilot) that can be obtained from the BGA by converting from BGA qualifications. Pilots of Part-21 sailplanes are currently exempt from the requirement to hold an SPL to fly…

The BGA produces several hard-copy publications which until recently were sold via the ‘BGA Shop’, a privately run online store which is no longer trading. A new outlet for BGA publications is being established. Meanwhile, BGA publications can be ordered via the BGA office.  

BGA inspectors form an important part of club and private owner aircraft maintenance support. Maintenance standards are a crucially important part of safety management.  The requirements for becoming a BGA inspector are essentially unchanged from the past. The mix of experience available within a gliding environment coupled with self-study can…

The final competition of the 2023 Inter Club League took place recently at Nympsfield. The results were: 1st – Bristol and Gloucestershire GC Joint 2nd – London GC and Oxford GC 4th – Southwest regional team Thanks to all the pilots, crews, teams, organisers, and hosting clubs that make the…

‘Managing Flying Risk’ aims to provide pilots and clubs with guidance on how to better understand, minimise and manage the hazards associated with gliding operations, including with powered gliders and tug aircraft. You can view the contents here.

The CAA has previously consulted on volumes of airspace that could be reasonably released as Class G. As part of that ongoing process, the CAA is withdrawing its proposal to amend the base level of Daventry Control Area (CTA) 6 airspace due to concerns raised by NATS En-Route Plc (NERL),…

The AAIB report into an accident involving an ASW20 in 2022 has been published and includes a recommendation to mandate positive control checks. The AAIB report is available here.