Places to go with OUGC
There are around 80 gliding clubs in the UK - too many to list here. Here are some of the places OUGC has visited in the past few years…
local sites
OUGC have excursions to other nearby clubs several times a year. Flying somewhere new sharpens your judgement and provides the opportunity to fly different gliders, and fly with different people.
Places we visit nearby include (listed roughly closest to furthest away):
Bicester Aerodrome (MotorGlide UK): motorgliding centre with some aerotows
Shenington (Edgehill GC): friendly club that often visits OGC and visa-versa
Hinton-in-the-Hedges (Banbury GC): aerotow only, some motorgliding instruction too
Aston Down (Cotswold GC): hosted Inter Unis in 2021 and a joint UWE-OUGC camp in 2022
Gransden Lodge (Cambridge GC): the ‘other place’ that we are forced to visit every 2nd year for Varsity. Actually we are quite good friends with CUGC folks.
Ridge sites
long MYnD (MIDLAND GC)
The Long Mynd is located close to the Wales/England border. Sometimes nicknamed ‘Little Switzerland’, the ridge is 330m above the surrounding countryside and can see snow in any season. The flying is generally the right level of ‘interesting’, so pilots of any experience can expect to do some flying. It’s winch-only and quite good value. The Midland GC is friendly and well-equipped with simulator, bunk rooms and delicious meals thanks to chefs Helen and Dave. Also there are always ponies and sheep! OUGC members visited the Long Mynd in 2020 (UK Junior Gliding Winter Series), 2021 and 2022 for training weeks.
Sutton bank (Yorkshire GC)
Sutton Bank is an epic ridge site with a white horse carved into the hillside. The view from the clubhouse is beautiful, the bunkrooms are warm, the bacon butties bountiful, instructors are nice people. Basically aerotow only. OUGC visited in January 2022: adventures included a first aerotow solo and evening wave flying!
Portmoak (Scottish gliding centre)
Portmoak is located between Perth and Edinburgh. Two ridges provide lift in different wind directions and there is also the possibility of wave soaring, especially in autumn and spring - as well as thermals in summer of course. Over the years, OUGC has frequently made the long trek up to Scotland with other uni clubs (UCL and Nottingham) usually during the April vacation.
Europe
OUGC has done trips to the Alps and Unterwossen in the past. Some amazing mountain flying, “going to the Alps is like learning to fly all over again”!
