Well isn’t Mrs Edwin a lucky lady!

For her birthday I thought it might be a good idea to help her overcome a fear of heights by giving her a glider trial flight over Dartmoor at the Dartmoor Gliding Society just north of Tavistock. A small but very friendly club located on picturesque moorland in beautiful South Devon within sight of the very well known Brentor Church.

So after really no fuss or stressing at all, Faye went up for her first glider flight. Complete with parachute and safety checks, it wasn’t long before she’s soaring over Brentor. Not a long first flight as the thermals weren’t really in our favour but a fantastic flight all the same.

Not content with letting the missus have all the fun, I have a word with the chaps and sort out a flight for myself...

So, after getting familiar with the controls of a modern dual control glider and getting securely strapped in (complete with parachute...), it was nearly time for launch. The gliders are launched with a powerful winch at the far end of the runway and attached to the under-carriage. A few safety checks from the portable control tower and the signal to ‘take up slack’ was given. Slowly the winch pulls in the slack and the cable begins to twitch along the runway.

Seconds later the glider starts to roll and quickly builds up speed, soon the glider is rocketing along the runway. As the glider is being pulled into a headwind the glider lifts off the ground effortlessly and climbs a 45 degree angle to about 800ft in around 6 seconds. Nothing can describe this feeling, you’re advised to look out to the side when taking off to give the brain some kind of reference point. Otherwise it’s just sky and a sinking feeling in your stomach.

So the initial climb is over and at this point we’re still attached the winch, but with a very noisy disconnection (akin to a gun going off) we’re free and gliding. As soon as we have disconnected from the winch the ride is almost silent with only a subtle noise from a small air vent in the fibre glass cockpit cover.

My pilot, Ged is full of information about gliding and it’s clearly his passion. He has been gliding for over 17 years and has never looked back, only up. I asked how long is it possible to ‘stay up’ and for legal reasons, each flight is limited to 5 hours.

I asked Ged when are the best conditions for gliding, Ged said “Look out for a ‘Simpson’ sky, the thermals hide under the little fluffy white clouds.”

I was only in the air for 10 minutes or so due to elusive thermals but it’s an experience I will remember for a long long time.

As part of the trial flight costs, the wife and I now have membership to the Dartmoor Gliding Society for three months and can return for more flying at clubs rates.

We will be back.

Simon