Windrushers Gliding Club
Encyclopedia
Windrushers Gliding Club is a gliding
club flying from Bicester Airfield
, where it moved to from Little Rissington
in 1956, later merging with the Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association
.
The club was reformed as a separate entity in July 2004 after the RAFGSA moved to RAF Halton
.
Within a year of reforming, it was hosting the UK Junior National Championship and its own Regional championship. Building on the strong backbone of experienced pilots and organisers in the club, it then hosted the Standard Class National Championships and the Regional championship the following year, an outstanding achievement for such a "new" club. The club is continually expanding and its regular Regional competition is proving very popular indeed, due to its geographical position, good soaring conditions and relative freedom from airspace restrictions.
The club has four dual-control two-seater ASK 13 gliders, a single-seat Grob G-102 Astir
, and a Falke 2000 motor glider, while some generous individuals make available other two-seaters and single-seaters for club use. The club provides aerotow flights using the club's Pawnee or Robin DR400, with access to a privately owned Robin DR400 as well, but the main launch method used is winching. There are approximately 40 privately owned gliders based at Windrushers.
From April to September the club is open seven days a week with professional staff, and the rest of the year flies at weekends, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Bank Holidays, when volunteers organise the flying (as is common at most other British gliding clubs).
Currently two university gliding clubs operate under the Windrushers supervision - Oxford University Gliding Club
and Cranfield University Gliding Club.
Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
club flying from Bicester Airfield
Bicester Airfield
Bicester Aerodrome, formerly RAF Bicester, is an airfield on the outskirts of the English town of Bicester in Oxfordshire. The RAF left in 2004....
, where it moved to from Little Rissington
RAF Little Rissington
RAF Little Rissington is an RAF aerodrome and former RAF station in Gloucestershire, England. It was once home to the Central Flying School, the Vintage Pair and the Red Arrows.Built during the 1930s, the station was opened in 1938 and closed in 1994...
in 1956, later merging with the Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association
Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association
The Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association is a British organisation which provides recreational flying to RAF personnel.-Purpose:The Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association is a voluntary organisation which exists to provide recreational flying to all RAF servicemen and women, in...
.
The club was reformed as a separate entity in July 2004 after the RAFGSA moved to RAF Halton
RAF Halton
RAF Halton is one of the largest Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom, located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Halton.-History:...
.
Within a year of reforming, it was hosting the UK Junior National Championship and its own Regional championship. Building on the strong backbone of experienced pilots and organisers in the club, it then hosted the Standard Class National Championships and the Regional championship the following year, an outstanding achievement for such a "new" club. The club is continually expanding and its regular Regional competition is proving very popular indeed, due to its geographical position, good soaring conditions and relative freedom from airspace restrictions.
The club has four dual-control two-seater ASK 13 gliders, a single-seat Grob G-102 Astir
Grob G-102 Astir
-References:**Hardy, M. Gliders & Sailplanes of the World. Ian Allan, 1982*...
, and a Falke 2000 motor glider, while some generous individuals make available other two-seaters and single-seaters for club use. The club provides aerotow flights using the club's Pawnee or Robin DR400, with access to a privately owned Robin DR400 as well, but the main launch method used is winching. There are approximately 40 privately owned gliders based at Windrushers.
From April to September the club is open seven days a week with professional staff, and the rest of the year flies at weekends, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Bank Holidays, when volunteers organise the flying (as is common at most other British gliding clubs).
Currently two university gliding clubs operate under the Windrushers supervision - Oxford University Gliding Club
Oxford University Gliding Club
The Oxford University Gliding Club is the gliding club of Oxford University, flying from the historic Bicester Airfield.The club was founded as part of the Oxford University and City Gliding Club in December 1937, and the illustrious German pilot Robert Kronfeld was its first chief flying instructor...
and Cranfield University Gliding Club.