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About the BGA

British Gliding Association Limited
8 Merus Court
Meridian Business Park
Leicester
LE19 1RJ

Telephone: +44 (0) 116 289 2956
Fax: +44 (0) 116 289 5025
Email: office@gliding.co.uk

Registered Office: as above
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."

Current priorities are to support clubs, develop participation and protect the sport and its assets.

Full members of the Association are gliding clubs (of which there are currently 86), that pay annual subscriptions to the BGA based upon the number of individual pilots within each club.

Patron

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, P Hearne and P Naegeli. BGA Chairmen who have served from 1930 to the present are listed here.

Executive & Other Committees

Responsibility for the running of the Association is vested in an elected Board - the Executive Committee - consisting of the Chairman of the Association, the Vice Chairman and the other elected members. Under the Executive Committee there are a number of sub committees each responsible for specific aspects of the organisation. These are: Airspace, Competitions and Awards, Marketing, Development, Instructors, Safety, Flight Operations, Staff Administration, Technical.

Other Officers

The Executive Committee appoints a number of official volunteer Officers including a Medical Advisor, a Chief Accident Investigator and representatives at various external sporting and regulatory bodies.

Staff

The senior employee of the BGA is the Chief Executive. The full time office manager, two full time administrators and a part time accounts manager are based in the Leicester office. The Association also employs a Training Standards Manager, a part time Communications Officer, a Chief Technical Officer, a Magazine Editor and a part time FAI Badge Officer, and contracts work to Development Officers, Instructor Coaches and an Airworthiness Quality Manager.

Committee Terms of Reference

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.

Terms of Reference document

Equal Opportunities

The BGA actively promotes diversity in employment & sport and welcomes applications from all parts of the community.

Equity & Equal Opportunities Policy


Meet the Executive Committee

The Executive Committee members are all activeglider pilots. The committee is:

Pete Harvey (Chairman)

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, 2007 and 2009 - an unprecedented achievement. He has a Nimbus 4 glider and a small share in a Robin 400.

Ron Bridges

Ron, who flies at Husbands Bosworth, has over 2000 gliding hours. As well as competing regularly, he has directed championships for many years, including the World Junior Championships. He was chair of the BGA Competitions Committee for 6 years and has held many club committee positions.


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

 

David Fidler

David Fidler is an RAF pilot with 39 years experience. He started gliding in 1996, holding a number of managerial positions in the RAF GSA before becoming its Chairman for three years. A keen glider pilot, David particularly enjoys cross-country and mountain flying.

 

Sharon Kerby

Sharon flies at Stratford on Avon Gliding Club – the club where she was first introduced to gliding by her father, Tony.  She went solo at 16, has been instructing since her 20s and enjoys flying cross country in her ASW24. She also holds a PPL.  In her professional life, Sharon is the MD of an award-winning PR company and also works as an executive coach.

 

 

Dave Latimer

Dave flies his Ventus cT from Sutton Bank. He particularly enjoys cross country, wave and mountain flying. He has been gliding since 1977 and has been an active member of several clubs both small and large. Professionally, Dave has run several engineering businesses and specializes in turn-arounds and more recently start-ups.

Andy Perkins
(vice-chairman)

Andy Perkins is a BGA 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.

 

 

 

Tony Smith
(Company Secretary)

Tony flies at Mendip and is a relative newcomer to gliding, going solo in January 2009. He holds a GPL and also an SLMG licence. Tony had a share in a Ka6e for a while and now owns a share in an SF 25C. He is a qualified accountant and runs his own practice.

 


   

John Williams

John flies from Portmoak where he spent 5 years as chairman and is one of a small group of Scottish based pilots who continue to explore the boundaries of "what might still be possible but hasn't been done yet". He has an Antares glider, 2000+hrs, a BI rating and a 2,000km diploma as well as a very understanding partner, Wendy. "What more could anyone want?"

 

Office Bearers

In addition, the following office-bearers attend Executive Committee meetings in an ex-officio capacity:

   

Pete Stratten
Chief Executive

Pete, the BGA’s Chief Executive, has worked professionally in the sport since 1990. He began gliding at 14, flies an ASW20 from Windrushers GC at Bicester and is an active instructor and inspector

   

Leslie Kaye
Treasurer

Leslie is also Treasurer of Herefordshire Gliding Club (Shobdon) where he files a Pik-20E. He has 2 Diamonds, an Assistant Instructor rating and approaching 2,000 hours gliding and power. He is a Chartered Accountant and has a wide variety of interests including target shooting and computing .

Sub Committee and Working Group Chairs

Airspace: John Williams
Competitions: Russell Cheetham
Development: Diana King
Flight Operations: Ted Norman
Instructors: Don Irving
Safety: Peter Claydon
Financial Advisory: Leslie Kaye
Technical: Howard Torode

 

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