Every flyable day we provide training for members and visitors, and launch facilities for qualified pilots. Under the stewardship of our Chief Flying Iinstructor, we provide members with a calendar packed with events and activities for every level of pilot, from ab-initio (beginner) to competition pilot. Although we fly through the winter months, the soaring ‘season’ usually starts in March which coincides with our ‘pilot development course’ in which each participant has instruction tailored to their personal ambitions.
Weather permitting, we have a light-hearted competition at Easter. For those aspiring to cross-country flying we hold a one-week soaring course. Then, as the summer gets going, we have a cross-country ‘Task Week’ and ‘Racing week’ with the challenge being present even for the more experienced pundits. At weekends we also participate in the Inter-Club League. Our team being a mixture of novices, intermediates and pundits visiting other clubs in our region to compete for a place in the national finals.
The largest annual cross-country event is the Dunstable Regionals, normally held at the end of August – 9 days of excitement with up to 60 gliders racing in two classes, according to glider performance handicap. This is also open to visitors from other clubs, whose additional company we very much enjoy. We may also be hosting a national competition so the Regionals are usually held ahead of it which allows competitors a practice week from the airfield, adding another level of excitement to the events.
Meanwhile our aerobatics pilots are active most weekends, and during the summer months we meet every Wednesday evening as well. We host the annual Dan Smith Memorial Trophy competition, an important part of the British Aerobatic Association competition calendar.
On any bright day you are likely to see some of our Vintage gliders in action, and we hold a Vintage weekend in the late summer. Our ‘vintage’ members take their venerable aircraft to expeditions and events all over the country organised by the Vintage Glider Club.
There are expeditions every year, some are run by the club and others as more informal groups. Some of our favourite UK destinations include Denbigh and Llanbedr in North Wales, Talgarth in South Wales and Shobdon in Herefordshire. When it comes to international destinations, Cerdanya in the Pyrenees is always one someones bucket list with other trips to La Motte, Sisteron and Serres in France as well as Saal in Germany. In the winter the occasional members even go as far afield as South Africa and Namibia.
In the winer months we try to fly as much as we can, but we make use of the time with lots of events such as the ‘Winter Wednesday’ series of seminars, and lectures and ground training for flying and radio telephony qualifications.
There is an active social scene and in the summer the BBQ gets lots of use. The quiz night is always fun and other events have included a ‘Murder Mystery’ night (our chairman was the victim), talent show, and barn dance (or more accurately, hangar dance), and our famous fireworks display on bonfire night.
The Christmas lunch and Prizegiving is not to be missed!