Welcome to Oliver who has joined the Vale of White Horse Gliding Centre as a junior member recently. He was flying at the weekend, along with some other recent joiners, and also learning ground handling skills, and operating the retrieve vehicles. Junior members can go solo from 14 years old, provided they have demonstrated the skills and judgement to do so. We actively manage their training
Welcome to New Junior Member Oliver Read More »
We’re delighted to welcome Thomas as a new flying member at Vale of White Horse Gliding Centre. Thomas is one of a new intake that has seen our membership numbers grow this year, which we’re delighted about. Welcome, Thomas!
Welcome to New Club Member Thomas Read More »
Welcome to our latest joiner at the club. Tracy had done some gliding training previously at another local club recently, but had never aerotowed before, and found that a much easier method to learn by. She joined at the same time as one of her colleagues, Gary, and it was great to see them at the club this Saturday picking up their training again, with one of our instructors, Pete. Thanks Tracy, for managing the log-keeping today at the launch point, too!
Welcome to New Club Member Tracy Thompson Read More »
Gary joined the gliding club recently, after a few flights at another local club, which used winch launching, rather than the aerotow method used at VoWHGC. So launching was a difference experience, but one he enjoyed. It was good for some of us to meet Gary for the first time today, while he helped at the launch point, and had some training flights with one of our regular instructors, Pete.
Welcome to New Club Member Gary Thurlow Read More »
Well, another successful Junior Development Week has just been completed at Vale of White Horse Gliding Centre, near Swindon. Many thanks to DCFI Gordon who organised the week, and was on-site instructing every day. Thanks to all the parents for delivering & collecting their offspring. Thanks also to the ground helpers who kept the whole thing moving including but not limited to Georgina, Pauline, and Martin. Flying-wise,
Another Successful Junior Development Week Read More »
Congratulations to club member and Treasurer Adrian May, who completed his Silver C distance flight from Sandhill Farm to Lasham today, complete with photographic evidence to provide it, as seen above. The Silver C badge requires pilots to complete a flight of at least 5 hrs duration, a soaring height gain of at least 1000m, and
Silver Distance Flight By Adrian May Read More »
As part of our “40 Years at Sandhill Farm” celebrations, we’re offering introductory glider and motor glider flights on the weekend of the Shrivenham Summer Fete, 23rd and 24th August 2025, and the booking page for the flights has just been opened for bookings. To make the flights that weekend as accessible as possible,
Vale of White Horse Gliding Centre and Shrivenham Summer Fete Read More »
The gliding centre’s main tug for aerotowing is a Pawnee, a type of aircraft originally designed for crop spraying, and built from the late 1950’s ’til around 1981. Because of its powerful engine, it’s a popular choice as a tug plane with gliding clubs around the world. A recent Airworthiness Directive (AD) mandated inspection of the wing spars to ensure there was no hidden corrosion present, and until this work was carried out we had to ground our Pawnee and use an alternative tug plane instead. As well as a one-off inspection, we needed to fit new removeable inspection panels on the underside of the wings, so that the wing spars can be inspected regularly in line with BGA guidance in future. Last weekend, all the necessary work was completed, and it was time to get enough people together in the hangar to get the wings back on the aircraft, ready for its final inspection and return to service. pawnee03 pawnee02 pawnee04 pawnee05 pawnee07 pawnee08
Our Pawnee Tug Back on Duty (Almost!) Read More »
One of our relatively new members, Rory, went solo on Saturday 31 May 2025. Rory only needed around 20 aerotow flights to achieve the skills necessary to go solo, but did bring some hours of powered flying with him when he started gliding. Congratulations Rory!
Congratulations to Rory Harris on His First Glider Solo Flight Read More »
It’s been a busy weekend at Vale of White Horse Gliding Centre, with a scout group flying on Friday evening, several introductory flights on Saturday, the club AGM after flying on Saturday evening, and further guest and member flying on Sunday. Saturday in particular was an excellent day for these experience flights, with blue skies, light wind straight down the runway, and cloud base at around 3400 feet above the airfield, all of which made for beautiful views over the Wiltshire and Oxfordshire countryside.
Introductory Flyers Over The Weekend Read More »
