Going Solo

Your first major step after taking up gliding is to go solo. There are many ways of going about this, and they vary from club to club - just ask for details.

Books are also available as training aids. Click here to go to the BGA shop.

Get Learning!

The main aims of going solo are to make sure that you are safe to fly alone, and also to make sure that you have completed certain exercises to a good level so that you are able to cope with any potential problems. The exact syllabus will change depending on the local site you are flying from, but the basic principles will remain the same.

The minimum for going solo is 20 flights, although this is rarely achieved! A more realistic aim is 40-100 flights, and it will depend on many factors including how good you are, how fast you learn and how regularly you fly. Other things that help are just being around the airfield, watching other people and chatting with instructors - remember, instructors are there to help!

Many people will choose a certain day to turn up on to ensure they fly regularly and preferably with the same instructors (although this is not essential). Others just turn up when they can, and put their name on the "flying list".

Theory?

Although learning to glide primarily involves getting airborne, there is inevitably some ground based theoretical knowledge involved. Although it is certainly not mandatory, the BGA has identified that many pilots find that the book 'From Passenger to Pilot' by Steve Longland, the author of the BGA Instructors Manual, provides a suitable level of information that satisfies most newcomers to the sport and provides a step onto a development pathway beyond solo.

Courses

Courses are a truly fantastic way to learn gliding. The more intense, the better. Many clubs do five day courses during the summer and often you can find weekend courses too. Courses will provide a consistent learning path and of course you keep the same instructor during the course. For a beginner, you are unlikely to go solo after just one course, but it will be a good grounding, and people often go solo after a couple of courses.

Beyond solo

Of course, gliding doesn't just stop when you go solo. Most would even say that you never stop learning! Further training is available for almost as far as you wish to go. Immediately after solo, you will still need check flights each time you turn up, until you build up more experience.

You can read more in the further training and badge system sections.