See what gliding is like in a location in Oxfordshire. Some flying and some talking about a very different sort of activity. Look out for the aerobatic sequence as a pilot sees it.
My personal opinion: If you want to start flying at all, start flying gliders. Full stop. It will teach you all the basics you need, and even more. People choosing to start flying with engines skip a lot of opportunties to feel the air around them. Michael.
It's interesting that you would say that, because the Royal Canadian Air Cadets do exactly that with young cadets who want to fly. They don't use modern gliders like these ones, but gliders nonetheless - the Schweizer 2-33 in particular. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweizer_SGS_2-33
Yup flying a glider normally is similar to being in the dire situation of a failed engine in a powered plane all the time.....something every powered pilot should master ....which would reduce the occurrence of power failure fatal crashes...
I really like everything about this video-introduction to soaring. The pace, the sounds, the relaxed descriptions by the various pilots - nicely done! Soaring, by the way, is m-a-g-i-c.
I really enjoyed your video as I can absolutely reproduce the fun some of you described. I'm a student in a bavarian glider club in Erlangen and I'm just about to get my first solo. I quiet like the instructors statment when he was like the hobby becomes addiction ;) Cheers
I spent years working with the courses at Kent and we never thought to put a kitchen in the bus!!!... mind you, it was only a very short walk to the clubhouse! One advantage of a triangular 900m field.... Great video, thank you Bicester!
I flew hang gliders back in the late seventies and always wanted to progress to sailplanes. Never did though. Shame. I'll have to put it on my bucket list!
I learned to fly a glider in USA, PA. All of my training was with being towed by a plane to 10,000feet. When I was learning it was 100 dollars per flight. Ground School was just as much as Flight school. I soloed in 3 months. Flight time was 45mins to 1hr.15mins depending on the wind. My first flight I asked the instructor if we could fly upside down. He said that would require a parachute. I said good I had my rig in my car. Needless to say I was hooked. I even flew for 15minutes. When we landed my instructor asked me how much flight instructions I had. Well my cousin was a pilot n a para trooper sniper in WW2. The first time I took the controls of a jump plane I was 8yrs old. My instructor for the glider was a pilot in the Vietnam war. A car accident grounded me 20 yrs ago. I still believe the most dangerous thing about skydiving or flying is the ride in the car to the airport.
This is a really great video. Nicely explained, very understandable. I am in South Florida and I am so extremely excited for my first glider ride which I will be taking very soon! I will be going up by airplane and not wench, but wow the wench idea is really cool! I love how happy the young lady looks while flying. So free...so beautiful
Beautifully done video and audio. As a U.S. glider pilot where we only do aero tow, the winch launches look like fun. I hope to get a chance to try that method some day.
What a great idea; using a bus modified into a clubhouse/restaurant. Serve breakfast, do your waiting for the winch, and no need for a building of any kind. Brilliant.
They have some very good deals to get you interested - rather than having to decide, after the first having flight , that you want to shell-out for an entire years subs. But, the clincher is the fry-up out on the field! I hope to be going their way fairly soon...
I did a lot of gliding at Bicester back in the 1980s when it was RAF . I stopped when I left the service in 1996, but recently resumed my hobby at the age of 60 at Cosford and hope to resolo soon.
I'm sure you will find a gliding club near you - check out the Soaring Society of America. There is great soaring available within the US in all corners of the country.
Love gliding, but it’s not for everyone. I got sick many times going up and I’ve always loved flying and roller coasters and never got motion or air sickness in my life. Also, it’s not as easy as they say, though to me much easier than powered planes. But there’s still loads to know and learn and grasp just like any piloting.
lol, thanks for not get mad with my comment, i wanna lear to fly a glider one day, my dad was a captan and he broke some world records, i need fly something after this lol
After receiving instruction and demonstrating that you have mastered the skills necessary to keep both you and the aircraft safe, sure. Give it a try, it's a great way to fly. Having a funny looking hat helps as well.
There was one thing in this video that, right off the bat, solidified the difference between soaring/gliding's popularity in Europe vs U.S.A. They have a bus for taking you to the airport/aerodrome. I am not aware of anywhere in the U.S. where you can get a bus to take you to a soaring club.
On the other side of the coin, there is a grill in this video, and the "restaurant" seems to be contained within this very bus. I didn't see any other kind of cafe. Nevertheless, I envy gliding's popularity in Europe. If I ever start a flying school in the U.S., I will include gliders as an optional part of the curriculum.
Shmey The advantage of the bus "restaurant" (we have one at our glider field too) is that it can be parked right next to the launch point, whatever the wind direction, so it's perfect for a quick cup of tea or bacon sandwich between flights or other airfield duties.
I'm pretty sure the bus belongs to the airfield operators, and only drives on the field. We have a small, old bus too, which has storage place and also all the radio is on it, so you basically drive to one end of the runway with it, while the winch is on the other end, and that's your "control tower", where you manage everything. Since they have a bigger bus, they seem to have also put a grill or something like that inside or at least with it. I live in Germany, and the next bus stop to the airfield is like 2km, and there's no shuttle or bus service to or from the airfield either. And that's one of the best locations to glide in Germany, it isn't just a random, small airfield.
It’s called SOARING. I took lessons in Calistoga ( Napa Valley) in the early 70’s post 149 missions as an observer in 1st Air Cav. My $900/month salary did not support my interest.
seems so cool, but extremely dangerous every time I consider something in aviation I just get the thought of what if everything goes wrong. I'm just chicken I guess. mad respect for those who stick with it.
Too often we suffer most sorely and thereby feel most poorly from dreaded aches and pains. Thomas Chatterton (1752-1770) You're creating your own hurdle in your mind to do anything. Go out and test if your theories are true or die wondering if aviation could have been something wonderfull in your life.
Reed Carter To be fair, there's less to go wrong in a glider than a regular powered plane! No engine to worry about cutting out, and very very low stall speeds.
Nene Vally, between Peterborough & Cambridge. I have only just joined myself but those are the standard rates. The chairman took great pride in telling me they are probably the cheapest club in the country
Many years ago..after my now ex-wife left me for a currently married guy... I figured.. either spend money on therapy, or Sailplane lessons. I made the right choice. Nothing quite like Soaring at 21,200 feet over Minden Nevada..(legally). She wanted me back 10 years later, but was already married to "Niner Four", a H-301 Libelle.
+winterscaleb It is not. In about 50% of the cases when you need to leave your plane in the air, the parachute can save your life. That isn't a very high number but still 50% higher than the chance you would have without parachute. By the way, most parachutes weight less than 10kg and to add weight you would use small metal blocks or fill water into the wings. Parachutes are also mandatory, which wouldn't make sense for weight reasons.
hang gliding is blue collar, sail planes are white collar...don't let anyone tell you different, just compare the prices and the BS you have to go through to get a sail plane license compared to hang gliding.
The cost of flying a glider is much cheaper. As they mentioned 7.50 for a winch launch, maybe 18 for a aerotow plus glider rental per minute. The glider is much simpler since you only need the basic instruments. But if your intention is to fly cross country and money/time isn't an issue then ultralight or PPL are a better option.
That intro is fucking terrifying.
What is terrifying about it?
Red queen
@@BartSimpsonOAP it's creepy AF, like the intro to Children of the Corn or something
I didn't know that Tom Cruise was an instructor on planes like this. Didn't he use to fly F-14 ?
bartdereu that was maverick and technically they’re not planes they have no engines they use gravity to fly around
More like Jean Claude Van Damme 😂😂
@@sethcrafton1177 Actually they are planes as "plane" is just a contraction of "aeroplane" which is just a term used for the profile of the wing.
That was definitely not Tom Cruise 😂
So you load up on an English breakfast complete with beans and climb into the confined space of a glider! You English are truly brave.
Lol 😂 exactly. The CFI would want to land immediately if it was me. ⛽️ 💨
i just started gliding at rufforth and im only eleven glidings really fun i would recommend.
Saturday I will take flight using a glider
Looks like Maverick switched from f-14's to gliders
My personal opinion: If you want to start flying at all, start flying gliders. Full stop. It will teach you all the basics you need, and even more. People choosing to start flying with engines skip a lot of opportunties to feel the air around them. Michael.
It's interesting that you would say that, because the Royal Canadian Air Cadets do exactly that with young cadets who want to fly. They don't use modern gliders like these ones, but gliders nonetheless - the Schweizer 2-33 in particular. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweizer_SGS_2-33
Agree 💯
Yup flying a glider normally is similar to being in the dire situation of a failed engine in a powered plane all the time.....something every powered pilot should master ....which would reduce the occurrence of power failure fatal crashes...
@@gromm93 that is a sick looking glider
@@gromm93 are you a Royal Canadian air cadet?
Great vid !! Did my first flight in a glider this morning and I think I'm hooked - so different to motor flight !
2:11 - The look on her face is priceless.. I hope I can experience this one day. Great video.
Started gliding 56 years ago. Still gliding. Great sport.
John.FAI/BGA 51417 25/08/1968.
Great video and informational as well, thanks
I really like everything about this video-introduction to soaring. The pace, the sounds, the relaxed descriptions by the various pilots - nicely done! Soaring, by the way, is m-a-g-i-c.
I really enjoyed your video as I can absolutely reproduce the fun some of you described. I'm a student in a bavarian glider club in Erlangen and I'm just about to get my first solo. I quiet like the instructors statment when he was like the hobby becomes addiction ;) Cheers
I spent years working with the courses at Kent and we never thought to put a kitchen in the bus!!!... mind you, it was only a very short walk to the clubhouse! One advantage of a triangular 900m field.... Great video, thank you Bicester!
I flew hang gliders back in the late seventies and always wanted to progress to sailplanes. Never did though. Shame. I'll have to put it on my bucket list!
incredible..!! What i liked the most was to seeing your ability to catch waves. Master!
ailerons?
check.
elevators?
check.
Bacon?
come again?
I learned to fly a glider in USA, PA. All of my training was with being towed by a plane to 10,000feet. When I was learning it was 100 dollars per flight. Ground School was just as much as Flight school. I soloed in 3 months. Flight time was 45mins to 1hr.15mins depending on the wind. My first flight I asked the instructor if we could fly upside down. He said that would require a parachute. I said good I had my rig in my car. Needless to say I was hooked. I even flew for 15minutes. When we landed my instructor asked me how much flight instructions I had. Well my cousin was a pilot n a para trooper sniper in WW2. The first time I took the controls of a jump plane I was 8yrs old. My instructor for the glider was a pilot in the Vietnam war. A car accident grounded me 20 yrs ago. I still believe the most dangerous thing about skydiving or flying is the ride in the car to the airport.
Keep up with the good flying :) It is a "can not tell sensation". I fly the IS 28 B2 model, romanian product. Cheers.
I was stationed at RAF Upper Heyford 1979 to 1981. I flew as a student with the RAF GSA club. I still have my patch from there.
It’s so nice to hear some British English.
Muito legal seu Canal parabéns pelo Vídeo 🔔🔔🔔👈
The guy with the dark hair looks like tom cruise and the joker lol.
He has such a pleasant voice though.
This is a really great video. Nicely explained, very understandable. I am in South Florida and I am so extremely excited for my first glider ride which I will be taking very soon! I will be going up by airplane and not wench, but wow the wench idea is really cool! I love how happy the young lady looks while flying. So free...so beautiful
Same here! I just started flying not long ago! pm me! I want to learn more about how you guys do it in the states! :D
Where is it? I'm in south Florida also!
Beautifully done video and audio. As a U.S. glider pilot where we only do aero tow, the winch launches look like fun. I hope to get a chance to try that method some day.
I'm Benni from India. I want to join in a gliding club in Austria or Canada. Could you please tell me about it?
@@bennithomas8414 You still wanna go flying in Austria?
Yes , of course !
@@bennithomas8414 damn, that's nice, anyways I'm flying in central austria rn, with great access to the alps
That is great !
i just did my first solo flight in cessna 172. after my PPL , I am planning to learn gliding too. I love gliding.
Can someone please let me know how the glider gets in to the air without an engine ?
The winch machine pulls it and it takes off. other way is a plane tow which disengages at 1000 ft.
+rockie0708 normally a tow plane will take the glider up with a rope the the tow plane will drop the glider
Or they also have self propelled ones with a propeller that folds inside once airborne.
What a great idea; using a bus modified into a clubhouse/restaurant. Serve breakfast, do your waiting for the winch, and no need for a building of any kind. Brilliant.
QQ AQ 5vg YY Thu
They have some very good deals to get you interested - rather than having to decide, after the first having flight , that you want to shell-out for an entire years subs. But, the clincher is the fry-up out on the field! I hope to be going their way fairly soon...
Muito legal seu Canal parabéns pelo Vídeo 🔔🔔🔔🔔
I did a lot of gliding at Bicester back in the 1980s when it was RAF . I stopped when I left the service in 1996, but recently resumed my hobby at the age of 60 at Cosford and hope to resolo soon.
Well yesterday I soloed at Wrekin Gliding club.
Wow age 60??! You must be in great shape.
The instructors are even older!
The intro sounds like the beginning of a horror flik
Voar é magia pura! Bons vôos!
This looks so cool.
It must be so great to fly with such quiet, using only the updrafts for lift.
I wish they were in the US
I'm sure you will find a gliding club near you - check out the Soaring Society of America. There is great soaring available within the US in all corners of the country.
What a great video. Sorry to see that upon visiting this club's website, they lost their lease on their facility. Bummer!
Love gliding, but it’s not for everyone. I got sick many times going up and I’ve always loved flying and roller coasters and never got motion or air sickness in my life. Also, it’s not as easy as they say, though to me much easier than powered planes. But there’s still loads to know and learn and grasp just like any piloting.
lol, thanks for not get mad with my comment, i wanna lear to fly a glider one day, my dad was a captan and he broke some world records, i need fly something after this lol
I will join for those good breakfasts in the bus. Good video. 👊👍
Great video! Cant wait until my first lesson :D Can anyone tell me the name of the piece of music at 2:10? I love it !
Good german Gliders :D
After receiving instruction and demonstrating that you have mastered the skills necessary to keep both you and the aircraft safe, sure. Give it a try, it's a great way to fly. Having a funny looking hat helps as well.
I clicked expecting to learn to fly a glider by watching this nine minute video. :'(
how much is membership, and how much for non-member to have try on a glider?
0:12 ARTILLERYYYY!!
There was one thing in this video that, right off the bat, solidified the difference between soaring/gliding's popularity in Europe vs U.S.A.
They have a bus for taking you to the airport/aerodrome.
I am not aware of anywhere in the U.S. where you can get a bus to take you to a soaring club.
On the other side of the coin, there is a grill in this video, and the "restaurant" seems to be contained within this very bus. I didn't see any other kind of cafe.
Nevertheless, I envy gliding's popularity in Europe.
If I ever start a flying school in the U.S., I will include gliders as an optional part of the curriculum.
Shmey
The advantage of the bus "restaurant" (we have one at our glider field too) is that it can be parked right next to the launch point, whatever the wind direction, so it's perfect for a quick cup of tea or bacon sandwich between flights or other airfield duties.
That's because everyone in America has a car, didn'tchaknow?
I'm pretty sure the bus belongs to the airfield operators, and only drives on the field. We have a small, old bus too, which has storage place and also all the radio is on it, so you basically drive to one end of the runway with it, while the winch is on the other end, and that's your "control tower", where you manage everything. Since they have a bigger bus, they seem to have also put a grill or something like that inside or at least with it. I live in Germany, and the next bus stop to the airfield is like 2km, and there's no shuttle or bus service to or from the airfield either. And that's one of the best locations to glide in Germany, it isn't just a random, small airfield.
@@louisgreschner2359 a u
awesome
for a winch launch but to be a member is more
that is sensation.
I can't believe the rapid roll rate in the 4-point roll at 3:48 forward. When I was gliding, a roll was a very leisurely procedure.
@03:49, that looked cool.
It’s called SOARING. I took lessons in Calistoga ( Napa Valley) in the early 70’s post 149 missions as an observer in 1st Air Cav. My $900/month salary did not support my interest.
chatting about gliding while someone cooks a full English
@redstaley Yes this is at Bicester, I have been a member for a year after living in Bicester for nearly 20 years....I now wonder what took me so long.
Where is it located
i want to get a license for one, but its to damn expencive!!!!
What happens when the winch does not disconnect? Do you say your last prayers or can it not happen?
so, after watching this video i can fly solo a glider?
ASK 21 FTW^^
What did the pink panther say when he stepped on an ant hill? Answer: dead ant dead ant dead ant dead ant dead ant
cost of basic course?
uttaradit2 usually around $3500 including all tows(usually by a plane), rental fees, landing fees, instructor, etc
I paid £60 for junior membership for a year at my club an aerotow is £36 and a winch is £6:50 and In the UK it's free instruction
I want to do it
That day was my birthday
How much does it cost
seems so cool, but extremely dangerous every time I consider something in aviation I just get the thought of what if everything goes wrong. I'm just chicken I guess. mad respect for those who stick with it.
Too often we suffer most sorely
and thereby feel most poorly
from dreaded aches and pains.
Thomas Chatterton (1752-1770)
You're creating your own hurdle in your mind to do anything. Go out and test if your theories are true or die wondering if aviation could have been something wonderfull in your life.
PilotPiedro thanks. very inspiring.
Reed Carter flying a glider is actually one of the safest things u can do
Reed Carter To be fair, there's less to go wrong in a glider than a regular powered plane! No engine to worry about cutting out, and very very low stall speeds.
5Hessens tell that to Andy Gough
So you don't need a plane to tow a glider?
no a winch works just fine
"Its only seven pounds for a winch launch"!
(Oh, did we mention you have to join the Cadets for that rate)?
How much fuel does a mild sized V8 use in 40 seconds?
@@u2mister17 At a guess ......
40% less than an annoyed sized V8?
Our club is £7.50 a launch in a club glider £8 for private.
@@robertmacfarlane2358 Bargain!
Or is that a special rate for Juniors or some such?
Which club is yours anyway Rob?
Nene Vally, between Peterborough & Cambridge. I have only just joined myself but those are the standard rates. The chairman took great pride in telling me they are probably the cheapest club in the country
😉
Is it allowed to train a 14 year old for gliding?
Yep, you can legally fly solo in the UK when you're 14
Air cadet league of Canada trains as early as 15
The only thing I learned about gliding is they like a big breakfast.
What age limit can you fly
Depends on the national regulations. In some countries in Europe 16 - somewhere even lower.
In UK - Start learning 12-13 y/o and you could go solo on your 14th birthday
......moja młodość szybowce....i mokre trampki od rosy ns trawie...😁😁
did he say 7 pounds?
Where do you live in Mars? of cause they have places all over the U.S. that you could learn to Glild and fly it , Google it! ,
Why is it that children with British accents narrating over creepy music is the creepiest thing ever?
Many years ago..after my now ex-wife left me for a currently married guy... I figured.. either spend money on therapy, or Sailplane lessons. I made the right choice. Nothing quite like Soaring at 21,200 feet over Minden Nevada..(legally). She wanted me back 10 years later, but was already married to "Niner Four", a H-301 Libelle.
A repules szerelmese vagyok
What is name ig or fb of dave morgan , I would like to follow he
Sadly, I must lose some weight before I can do this.
I took a 275 lb lady in 2-33 and I weighed 210.
Yea, she was nose heavy but just played with a little more speed.
Is that parachutes what they are wearing?
yeah
you shit's real when you wear a parachute in your airplane
The parachutes main purpose in the glider is to add weight but..yea it can also save your life in the chances
winterscaleb Cool, I actually did not know that.
+winterscaleb It is not. In about 50% of the cases when you need to leave your plane in the air, the parachute can save your life. That isn't a very high number but still 50% higher than the chance you would have without parachute. By the way, most parachutes weight less than 10kg and to add weight you would use small metal blocks or fill water into the wings. Parachutes are also mandatory, which wouldn't make sense for weight reasons.
Nah, I'm good
Judging by the upper crust English accents...I can assume this is far from being a "blue collar" hobby? :) :)
hang gliding is blue collar, sail planes are white collar...don't let anyone tell you different, just compare the prices and the BS you have to go through to get a sail plane license compared to hang gliding.
+Fred B. its cheaper than golf...
Ssa.org...where to fly
No he flew vw
You tell us you son of a bitch. BTW nice vid
Anyone who came from if my heart had wings?
Just learn to fly a plane?
The cost of flying a glider is much cheaper. As they mentioned 7.50 for a winch launch, maybe 18 for a aerotow plus glider rental per minute. The glider is much simpler since you only need the basic instruments. But if your intention is to fly cross country and money/time isn't an issue then ultralight or PPL are a better option.