BEST OF BRITISH GLIDER PILOTS IN LEICESTERSHIRE FOR WWGC TRAINING
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
At 9am on Friday 14th June and 9am Monday 17th June 2019 at
The Gliding Centre, Husbands Bosworth Airfield, Lutterworth, LE17 6JJ
BEST OF BRITISH GLIDER PILOTS IN LEICESTERSHIRE FOR WOMEN’S WORLD GLIDING CHAMPIONSHIP TRAINING
THE BEST women glider pilots from across the UK will be converging at The Gliding Centre near Leicester this week for four days of intense coaching.
The Women Glide training camp will see world championship medal winning glider pilots from Team GB training over the Leicestershire countryside with the aim of flying further, faster and for longer in a glider.
All pilots are in training hoping to qualify for the Women’s World Gliding Championship which is being held in the UK at The Gliding Centre, Husbands Bosworth, in 2021.
They will be using invisible currents of rising air known as ‘lift’ to soar vast distances of hundreds of kilometres and at average speeds of around 100mph – all in an aircraft without an engine.
Liz Sparrow is organising the coaching weekend and has been the highest ranked female glider pilot in the world. She is also the most experienced member of the team having competed in seven world championships.
Liz said: “Whilst we’re all going into this competition to win medals for the UK, we’ll also be encouraging more women of all ages to go gliding to raise the profile of the sport and increase the number of female glider pilots.”
Double silver medal winner Ayala Truelove will also be at the coaching session, having first tasted international competition in 2009 during the Women’s World Gliding Championships in Szeged – finishing an impressive fourth in her first outing.
Ayala said: “Gliding is a fantastic sport and the sense of freedom you feel in the air is exhilarating and magical.”
Gliding isn’t just about booking an aircraft, flying and then going home. Most pilots also enjoy getting involved in the social aspect of half a day on the airfield, learning new skills, promoting teamwork and helping others.
Gliding is also an inclusive sport and enjoyed by people of all ages and physical abilities. Subject to completing the required training, you can fly a glider solo at age 14. There is no upper age limit with some glider pilots still flying in their early nineties.
Andrew Perkins, Chairman of the British Gliding Association and a B777 pilot, added: “Gliding is like a big family; you work together in all the activities that get you airborne. It hones all your flying skills and is a great way to learn about engineering, safety, lookout and airmanship.”
Gliding also offers an affordable way of getting airborne and learning to fly, with a club glider costing around £40 an hour including instruction from a qualified gliding instructor.
For more information and to find a gliding club near you, visit www.gliding.co.uk
Ends
Notes to editors:
For more information please contact:
SallyAnn Ashenden at The Gliding Centre on 01858 880521, or Rachel Edwards on 07926 538413 or email Rachel@gliding.co.uk
Visit https://www.gliding.co.uk/press-releases/about-the-bga for more information.
Gliding – key facts
- The British Gliding Association (BGA) is the governing body for the sport of gliding in the UK and represents more than 80 gliding clubs stretching from the Highlands of Scotland to the south-west tip of Cornwall in England.
- A glider is an aircraft that doesn’t need power to fly. Gliders fly by gliding gently down a slope causing air to flow over the wings, which generates a force that supports the weight of the glider. The steeper the slope, the faster the glider flies. By flying in rising air, for example a thermal, a glider can gain height.
- Using these invisible rising currents of air, known as ‘lift’, gliders can soar to great heights of up to 40,000ft, travel at average speeds of over 100mph and cover vast distances of more than 600 miles all within the UK.
- The longest distance ever flown in a glider in one flight is 3,008km, taking 15 hours and eight minutes at an average speed of almost 200km/h in South America.
- Gliding is an inclusive sport and enjoyed by people of all ages and physical abilities. Subject to completing the required training, you can fly a glider solo at age 14. There is no upper age limit with some glider pilots still flying in their early nineties.
- Gliding brings the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) agenda to life to inspire the next generation of pilots, engineers and other aviation and aerospace professionals.