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About the BGA

British Gliding Association Limited
3rd Floor
Kimberley House
Vaughan Way
Leicester
LE1 4SE

Telephone: +44 (0) 116 253 1051
Fax: +44 (0) 116 251 5939
Email: office@gliding.co.uk

Registered No: 422605 England
VAT Registration no: 238 5224 62

The British Gliding Association was established in 1929. It is the governing body for the sport of gliding in the United Kingdom. The BGA exists to represent and further the interests of a minority sport in an increasingly competitive environment. Our mission statement is "to provide effective leadership and continuity of gliding and soaring in the U.K."

You can read about the BGA's aims, objectives and strategic plan by downloading a PDF document (248k) here.

Full members of the Association are gliding clubs (of which there are currently 100), that pay annual subscriptions to the BGA based upon the number of individual pilots within each club.

Responsibility for the running of the Association is vested in an elected Executive Committee consisting of the Chairman of the Association, the Vice Chairman and ten other elected members. Under the Executive Committee there are nine sub committees each responsible for specific aspects of the organisation. These are: Airspace, Competitions and Awards, Communications and Marketing, Development, Instructors, Safety, Financial Advisory, Regulatory, Staff Administration, Technical.

The terms of reference of the sub-committees are determined by the Executive Committee in consultation with the sub-committee chairmen from time to time. You can download the Terms of Reference for the sub-committees here.

The senior employee of the BGA is the Chief Executive. The full time office manager, two full time administrators and two part time administrators are based in the Leicester office. The Association also employs a National Coach, a part time Communications Officer, a Chief Technical Officer, a Magazine Editor and a part time FAI Badge Officer, and contracts work to two Development Officers.

The BGA is honoured to have HRH the Duke of Edinburgh as its patron.

The BGA Vice Presidents are; C Simpson, R Barrett, B Watson, B Walker, D Spottiswood, D Dixon, D Roberts and P Hearne. BGA Chairmen who have served from 1930 to the present are listed here.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee members are all activeglider pilots. The committee for 2007/8 is:

Patrick Naegeli (Chairman)

Patrick flies from Lasham. A Senior Regional Examiner, 2005 British Team member, tug pilot, BGA motorgliding examiner and CAA SLMG instructor, he has 3,000hrs and owns a Ventus 2

John Birch (Treasurer)

John Birch stood down from the Executive in 2008 after serving a full term of six years but remains as BGA Treasurer. He flies from Cambridge GC and is a full-rated instructor, who has a Duo Discus xt. He soloed in 1988 and has all three Diamonds

Philip Burton

Phil is the BGA’s Child Protection Lead. He flies from Norfolk GC and Suffolk Soaring Society. An assistant instructor, he has a share in a Grob 103 and enjoys focusing on introducing people to gliding.

 

Matt Cook

Matt Cook, 29, has been gliding since 15, instructing since 17. A keen cross-country/competition pilot and member of the British Junior Team 2003. Now Thames Valley RE after five years as professional instructor and Booker CFI. Currently investment banker in the City

 

Chris Gibson

Chris Gibson, who chairs the BGA’s licensing working group, flies from Lasham and has MGIR and NPPL instructor ratings as well as being a full-rated gliding instructor. A tug pilot, he has two Diamonds, 1,500hrs and an ASW 20cl share

 

Pete Harvey

Pete flies from Bicester and York and is a British Team member. After success in international hang-gliding, he won the European Open Class Gliding Championship in 2005 and 2007. He has a Nimbus 4 glider ands a small share in a Robin 400. Pete has recenty been appointed as the Chief Executive of the UK Light Aircraft Association (LAA).

 

Keith Mansell

Keith Mansell, who is President of Midland GC, stood down from the Executive in 2008 after serving a full term of six years; he remains the BGA Company Secretary. A trustee of the Planning and Environment and the Philip Wills Funds, he holds a BGA Gold Medal

 

 

Ted Norman

Ted flies from Ulster GC. He began gliding in 1960 with the RAFGSA, was RAFGSA Centre Manager for nine years and is a BGA MGIR & CAA SLMG instructor with 2,000hrs and two Diamonds.

Andy Perkins

Andy Perkins is the CFI at Booker and a Regional Examiner. He has  three Diamonds, 2,500hrs gliding and is a tug pilot. He loves mountain flying and partying with glider pilots the world over.  His mission: to make gliding fun, exciting and accessible.

 

Pete Stratten

Pete, the BGA’s Chief Executive, has worked professionally in the sport since 1990. He began gliding at 14, flies a Ventus CT from Windrushers GC at Bicester and is an active instructor and inspector

Bruce Tapson

Bruce “Tappo” Tapson, who flies from the Buckminster club, began gliding in 1957 with the Air Cadets. He is a former RAFGSA CFI and BGA SRE. A CAA examiner (FIE) and CAA CRI, he has more than 12,500hrs – 10,000 of them instructing

     

 

Sub Committee Chairs

Airspace: Carr Withall
Communications & Marketing: Marilyn Hood
Competitions: Russell Cheetham
Development: Diana King
Instructors: Don Irving
Regulatory: David Roberts
Safety: Brian Penfold
Financial Advisory: John Birch
Technical: Howard Torode

 

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