Oxford Gliding Club | |
Formation | 3 December 1937 |
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Founder | Robert Sutherland H H Price Gilbert Ryle and Frederick Lindemann |
Founded at | Cumnor Meadow (See Farmoor Reservoir) |
Coordinates | 51.88109945113331, -1.2287796306431265 |
Membership | ~100 Members |
Affiliations | British Gliding Association, Oxford University Gliding Club |
Website | www |
Oxford Gliding Club (OGC) is a UK gliding club, and is one of the oldest still in operation in the UK. [1] Currently it operates from RAF Weston-on-the-Green, north of Oxford. In 2012, the club celebrated its 75th anniversary.
The pre-war ancestor to the club was the "Oxford University and City Gliding Club" which had its inaugural meeting at Christchurch College on Thursday 2 December 1937.[ citation needed ] The founders were predominantly Oxford academics, including author and anthropologist Robert Sutherland Rattray, Professor H H Price, philosopher Professor Gilbert Ryle and physicist Professor Frederick Lindemann, 1st Viscount Cherwell (later Lord Cherwell). They were helped in their search for a suitable site by aviator Amy Johnson. Lindemann went on to become scientific advisor to Winston Churchill and was paymaster general during World War II.
A meeting in early 1938 at Rhodes House considered the establishment of a club further. [2] Attendees at this meeting included Joan Meakin, Mary Bailey, Amy Johnson and Naomi Heron-Maxwell. [2]
Flying began on Saturday, 7 May 1938, at a site known as Cumnor meadow, which is now on the bed of Farmoor Reservoir. The Club fleet consisted of two open primary gliders, one of which had a streamlined nacelle. Club members had to build an access road to the site, including a bridge over a ditch, and a basic hangar. The famous Austrian gliding pioneer, Robert Kronfeld became manager and CFI (Chief Flying Instructor) of the Club in June 1938. Club pilots and gliders took part in a public Air Show at RAF Upper Heyford in the summer of 1938. The Club moved from Cumnor to the Chiltern ridge at Aston Rowant, close to the Lambert Arms pub, for the 1939 season. The formation of the Oxford Gliding Co. Ltd. dates from 1939, including the original £4,000 share capital which is still on the books to this day. On the outbreak of war in 1939, all recreational aviation ceased, and the club was eventually reformed at Kidlington (London Oxford Airport)in 1951. An increase in powered aircraft activity at Kidlington resulted in the club relocating to RAF Weston-on-the-Green in 1956.
In July 2020, Oxford University Gliding Club returned to RAF Weston-on-the-Green. [3] It operates as an independent organisation, however OGC facilitates its operations by providing the necessary operational capacity. It was a part of OGC until 1970 when it became a separate entity and moved to RAF Bicester under the predecessor to Windrushers Gliding Club, the RAF Gliding and Soaring Association. [4]
Whilst the club operates from an RAF airfield, it is not affiliated with nor is it a military organisation. The club operates mainly on weekends and bank holidays, however may occasionally operate on weekdays when the airfield is not otherwise in use, and when there are sufficient members available to commence operations. Like most UK gliding clubs, there are no paid employees and all members (subject to age and regulatory requirements) are trained in the various elements of airfield operation. In addition to the day-to-day operations, the club also undertakes various maintenance tasks including grass-cutting, aircraft inspection as per BGA requirements and general upkeep of the facilities. As part of the agreement with OUGC, members of each club are able to use the fleet of both clubs. [5]
The club's instructors operate under the BGA training system, [6] and do not charge for their time. This is common (but not universal) in gliding, unlike other general aviation areas. [7]
In late 2023 the club upgraded to a new skylaunch winch, having previously operated a club manufactured winch.[ citation needed ] Both winches are powered by Liquefied petroleum gas, and are fitted with Dyneema cable, a lightweight manufactured Rope-like material. Dyneema is substantially lighter than the traditional multistrand steel cable, and enables higher launch heights, which in turn provide a longer flight. Combined with the longer than average "runs" at the club, the average winch launch height at OGC is in excess of 1400 feet, though with the right conditions launches have reached 2500 feet.
OGC operates a varied fleet, consisting of both single and dual seat aircraft. In addition to the aircraft that it owns, it has access to the fleet of OUGC as part of the facilities agreement.
Aircraft Type | Number in Fleet | UK Registrations | Purpose |
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Schleicher ASK 21 | 1 (1 OUGC) | G-DEGZ (G-DESB) | All used as main source of pre-solo training. |
Glaser-Dirks DG-500 | 1 | G-DEGZ | |
Schleicher ASK 13 | 1 | G-DCGO | |
Glaser-Dirks DG-505 | 1 | G-CJSX | Used for flight experiences for the public, advanced, cross country or aerobatic training and gliding competition entry. |
Slingsby T.21 | 1 | WJ306 | Vintage aircraft, primarily used for flight experiences for the public, fellow pilots and enthusiasts. Not used for training. |
Aircraft Type | Number in Fleet | UK Registrations | Purpose |
---|---|---|---|
Grob G102 Astir CS | 3 (1 OUGC) | G-DDMH, G-CJUK (G-CFEF) | Both aircraft are available to members for their own use, however pilots are generally sent solo on the K8 first as it is easier to handle during the transition between dual-seat and single-seat aircraft. |
Schleicher K 8 | 1 (1 on loan from WGC) | G-DHFW (G-DEED) |
Squadron Leader Robert Kronfeld, AFC was an Austrian-born gliding champion and sailplane designer of the 1920s and 30s. He became a British subject and an RAF test pilot. He was killed testing a glider in 1948.
London Oxford Airport, formerly known as Kidlington Airport, is a privately owned airport located near Kidlington in Cherwell District, Oxfordshire, 6 NM northwest by north of Oxford, 62 mi (100 km) from Central London.
Bicester Aerodrome, formerly RAF Bicester, is a private airfield on the outskirts of the English town of Bicester in Oxfordshire. Dating back to 1916, it is notable as the location of the first flight of the prototype Handley Page Halifax in 1939. It was originally established as a military airfield, used by Royal Air Force until 2004.
The London Gliding Club (LGC) is a members' club whose airfield is located at the foot of the Dunstable Downs. Many privately owned gliders are based there. It has the facilities to train pilots in powerless flight, and in the skills necessary to fly cross country using nature's sources of energy. Aerobatics and instructor training are also available. The LGC is open 364 days a year and is the second largest and one of the oldest Gliding Clubs in the United Kingdom, smaller only than Lasham Gliding Society. The club provides gliding courses, one day courses and trial lessons for members of the public.
Windrushers Gliding Club was a gliding club flying from Bicester Airfield in Oxfordshire until late June 2020. At its heyday, the club was one of the biggest gliding clubs in the UK, hosting various competitions throughout the year and maintaining the physical presence of the British Gliding Association's shop as well as numerous BGA staff members. The club operated seven days a week, with paid staff running various elements of the club's operations.
The Scottish Gliding Union is the largest gliding club in Scotland. The body is based at Portmoak Airfield, Scotlandwell, KY13 9JJ.
RAF Weston-on-the-Green is a Royal Air Force station that was redeveloped after the Great War period. Much demolition took place. The former RFC Officers and Sergeant's messes are located on the opposite side of the road, and are now in commercial use. The station is located near the village of Weston-on-the-Green in Oxfordshire, England.
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A Volunteer Gliding Squadron (VGS) is an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF) which provides flying training in glider aircraft for Royal Air Force Air Cadets. All current operational Volunteer Gliding Squadrons operate a sole type of aircraft, the Grob G103A Twin II Acro, a conventional winch-launched tandem-seat sailplane known by its British military designation, Viking T1.
The Buckminster Gliding Club (BGC) is a gliding club based at Saltby Airfield on the Leicestershire / Lincolnshire border, England. It is affiliated with the British Gliding Association (BGA) and runs a seven-day-a-week operation throughout the year with the exception of Christmas Day.
Shenington Gliding Club is a British gliding club near the village of Shenington in the Cotswolds, seven miles north west of Banbury. The club changed its name to Edgehill Gliding Centre in 2022, but still operates from Shenington Airfield.
Cambridge Gliding Centre is a gliding club based near Cambridge in the United Kingdom on the Bedfordshire/Cambridgeshire county border. Nearby major towns include Bedford, Cambourne, Huntingdon, Royston, Sandy, St Ives and St Neots.
The Cotswold Gliding Club (CGC) is based at Aston Down airfield, between Cirencester and Stroud in Gloucestershire, South West England. The club maintains a fleet of aircraft for training purposes, and is a centre for cross-country gliding and competitions.
Lasham Airfield is an aerodrome 3.6 miles (5.8 km) north-west of Alton in Hampshire, England, in the village of Lasham.
The Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association (RAFGSA) is a voluntary organisation which exists to provide recreational flying to all RAF servicemen and women, in particular those employed in ground duties.
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No.2 Flying Training School is a Flying Training School (FTS) of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It is part of No. 22 (Training) Group that delivers glider flying training to the Royal Air Force Air Cadets. Its headquarters is located at RAF Syerston in Nottinghamshire and gliding takes places from several sites throughout the UK using the Grob Viking T1. The RAF Central Gliding School is also under its command.
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Bowland Forest Gliding Club is a British gliding club near the village of Chipping, Lancashire. It was formed as the Blackpool and Fylde Gliding Club in 1930, and is a members-only club, with no paid employees. It owns its airfield, generally called Chipping Airfield, but also known as Bowland Forest, Fiddlers Lane or Lower Cock Hill Farm.
As they have already got a Gliding Club at Cambridge, Oxford is now thinking of following suit, and the above group was taken at Rhodes House, where a meeting was held to consider the proposition. In the picture are (left to right) Miss Meakin, the famous glider pilot, the Hon. Lady Bailey, Miss Amy Johnson, who is now much attracted to this form of sport in the air and Miss Naomi Heron Maxwell, who is instructress to Cambridge University Gliding Club