Expedition reports, cross-country flight achievements, cadet milestones, and airfield updates from Gransden Lodge Airfield.
One of our local landmarks is Wimpole Hall. It's a National Trust property with a cafe, a large kids' play area, a folly, a lake, and a farm. The farm looks like this on the inside: From the air, it looks very pretty: The most striking feature is the avenue stretching off to the right … Read more "Avenues"
Just a couple of photos taken from some unusual angles during today's aerobatics flights. Video to followâŠ
We recently chatted with one of our newer solo pilots at CGC about how she got into gliding, what keeps her coming back, and why she wants to pursue aerobatics. Her story shows gliding is for anyone with a curiosity for the skiesâno aviation lineage required! How did you get into gliding? âIâve always loved … Read more "Pilot Profile â Olivia"
Ever wondered how a glider gets airborne without an engine? One of the most common and versatile launch methods is aerotow, where a powered aircraft tows the glider to altitude before releasing it to fly freely. This method allows pilots to reach lift areas, extend their flight time, and even set off on cross-country adventures. … Read more "The Aerotow Launch Experience"
At Cambridge Gliding Centre we enjoy a great relationship with City University's Aerospace Engineering programme. We teach their students the practical aspects of aircraft performance by taking them into the air in a glider and showing them! The aim is not to teach them how to fly, but to demonstrate and explain how the controls … Read more "City University Engineers learn the physics of flight"
I don't have my own glider (yet?) so I use the club high performance single-seaters, the Pegase and Discus. In March each year, we have the option of buying shares in a virtual syndicate which runs these gliders. So, I'm doing a lot of soul-searching to decide whether to buy one, two, or three shares. … Read more "How much do I want to pay for my gliding?"
Yesterday I posted a map showing that the thermal season may be arriving. Here's the evidence from yesterday's flying: This is the tracks of our gliders in the skies above Cambridgeshire today. What are the spring-like trails? That's where the gliders have circled round and round to follow a thermal as it gets blown across … Read more "Spring has sprung and it looks like springs"
Yesterday someone posted this on one of our gliding club chat groups: (This viewer © 2019-2024 â @RASPWeather | Tiles © OpenMapTiles | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA) Everyone got very excited: But why? What does this mean? It might (might) mean that gliding season is arriving. In the winter, glider flights tend to be short, at least around Cambridge. We … Read more "Is spring springing?"
During the summer the club run regular evening flying sessions that are always very popular with members but also, as in this case, new flyers like Sandy. With the heat of the day over, the conditions are usually not as good for climbing in thermals, but great for short training flights. For many, the real … Read more "Sandy's first flight"
