Windrushers Gliding Club
Take a Trial Lesson in a Glider!
Come along for a thrilling trial glider flight at the Bicester Gliding Centre in Oxfordshire! Only 12 miles north of Oxford.
We offer three types of trial glider lesson vouchers, all available via our online shop:-
The Standard Flight - £75 - is an aerotow to 2000ft and up to 20 mins in the air. Buy Online Now!
The Deluxe Flight - £95 - is an aerotow to 3000ft and up to 30 mins in the air. Buy Online Now!
The Premium Flight - £125 - is either an aerotow to 4000 ft or two aerotows to 2000ft, and up to 40 mins in the air. Buy Online Now!
The Windrushers Gliding Club trial lesson voucher is a great way to see if gliding is for you. And you don't have to use it immediately - in fact, you have 12 months from the day of purchase in which to choose the best day to suit you! That's plenty of time to ensure good weather for your flight. Phone 01869 252493 to book your flight - the phone will be answered at almost any time of day or night! Or buy online via our secure shop.
Or try our Learn to Glide package deal - for those who wish to take out a temporary membership and fly for three months before finally deciding to join. You can take a trial lesson and then convert it to the Learn to Glide package deal simply by paying the difference in cost.
We also run gliding courses, including a half day introductory winch course for £135 (more details on the courses page above). These are from one to five days in length and make an ideal holiday break. One-to-one training with an instructor. For total beginners up to early solo pilots, all our courses are tailored to suit your needs. Learn to fly in Oxfordshire and you can view Oxford from the air!
Important: There may be weight and height restrictions. Please check before booking a trial lesson if you are over 16st / 100kg or over 6' 4" tall. You can take along a camera, but it MUST use a neck-strap to firmly attach it to your person. We cannot fly persons under 14 yrs of age.
Motor Glider Trial Flights
We also have a self-launching motor glider - an aircraft that takes off like a normal powered aircraft but which also flies like a glider. Trial gliding flights are available in this dual-control aircraft at the following rates.
| Basic | 30 minute motor glider flight: | £75 Buy Online Now! |
| Standard | 45 minute motor glider flight: | £95 Buy Online Now! |
| Advanced | 1 hour motor glider flight: | £125 Buy Online Now! |
The times refer to actual time in the air, we do not charge for the pre-flight briefings nor do we include the engine run-up time as part of the flight. With the motor glider, we can guarantee the time spent airborne (subject, as usual, to the weather being suitable for flying). And again, once the instructor has demonstrated how to fly the aircraft as a glider, you will take the controls and pilot it yourself. Depending on the length of the flight, we can include viewing Silverstone Racetrack (Just look at the view!) and Stowe School, or Oxford and its Colleges as part of the lesson.
The Trial Lesson
Following a safety briefing and some ground instruction, you will take to the sky in one of our dual-control two-seater training gliders with a British Gliding Association (BGA) qualified instructor. The flying part of the lesson will last for about 20 minutes during which you will be shown the basic methods of controlling the glider, then take control and fly the glider yourself. Yes, you CAN fly the glider, it is not a difficult thing to do.
After the flight you will be presented with a certificate to prove you did it!
And if you are really hooked on flying after your trial lesson and want to learn more about gliding, you can convert this single lesson to the Learn to Glide package by simply paying the difference, and that first trial lesson will then be charged at the normal club rates for a flight. This then entitles you to use the club facilities and to take further glider flights at standard WGC rates.
Don't just dream about a flight - do it! You know you want to.
The Trial Flight - Launching
The aerotow launch - the dual-control two-seater glider is towed to the chosen height behind a light aircraft known as a tug. After reaching this height, your instructor releases the glider end of the tow rope, and the glider and tug go their different ways. Your instructor will demonstrate how the glider flies, how speed is controlled and how to turn it. Then, it's your turn to take control if you so wish! Yes, you actual get to fly the glider around the sky, with the instructor monitoring what happens via his set of controls. Eventually the instructor takes over and lands the glider. If you wish a second aerotow at that point, do ask! It will be charged at our standard club rates.
Our instructors will always endeavor to find thermals to keep the glider airborne for a reasonable time. We want you to have as good a time as possible, to share our enthusiasm for this fantastic sport.