13 July 2017
An initiative to promote the sport of gliding starts on Saturday as a glider sets out on a two-week flying tour of the UK.
Organised by the British Gliding Association, Glide Britain will follow a K21 glider on a 1,200km journey across the UK, visiting 13 gliding clubs.
“A lot of people outside of the sport have very little idea what gliding is all about and what a glider is capable of. For example, gliders can fly distances of more than 300 miles and reach a height of 37,000 feet,” said Philip Lepp, managing director of sponsor Sydney Charles Aviation Insurance Brokers.
“The sport has a very active junior sector – you can fly a glider solo at the age of just 14 – and because we also sponsor the British Junior Gliding Team, we’re proud to support any initiative designed to encourage more people, especially young people, into the sport.”
The Glide Britain tour will be used to produce videos for the gliding community to introduce all aspects of the sport, from different launch methods, types of lift, vintage, aerobatics and cross-country flying. A broadcast quality documentary of the tour will also be produced.
Follow Glide Britain on its dedicated Facebook page.
