Welcome

The Cape Gliding Club is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion and enjoyment of soaring in the Western Cape province of South Africa. We are based at Worcester airfield, in the centre of the Breede River Valley "Winelands", about 120km from the City of Cape Town. The Winelands is a popular area with tourists and locals for many outdoor pursuits, including canoe cruising and racing, mountain rock climbing and trail walking, winter skiing (yes!), 4x4 trails, trout and bass fishing, model aircraft flying, power aircraft flying and of course, glider flying.

The club has over one hundred members and a club fleet of two tugs, a Scheibe Rotax-Falke motor glider, two single-seater and four two-seater pure gliders. In addition there are over 40 private privately owned gliders and motor gliders of various types at the airfield, which is shared with the Worcester power flying club. The model aircraft club has an established mini-airfield with cross-runways, close by.

The Cape Gliding Club operates mainly on weekends and public holidays. At the year-end we change to a full-time operation by special arrangement, for about three weeks. Summer gliding begins at about 10h00 and ends at sundown, after which we gather in the clubhouse for a drink and a lively discussion on the day’s flights.

Worcester is an arid location, often hot and windy, giving excellent soaring opportunities during peak weather periods. The Worcester area is central to some spectacular mountain chains which offer ridge flying in all seasons. Those readers who are followers of the OLC will have noticed that flights in excess of 1000km have become almost commonplace at Worcester. Summer offers the best thermic conditions and winter winds often precipitate high mountain lee-waves – excellent opportunities for Diamond height gains. An all year flying season.

The club has a dedicated team of qualified tug pilots and instructors who offer their time free of charge to provide affordable tuition for beginners and advanced students. As a non-profit organisation we are able to offer reasonable flying rates.

Pilots visiting from Overseas can take advantage of our temporary membership arrangement. Other pilots who are already members from other South African clubs affiliated to the Soaring Society of South Africa fly on a reciprocal membership arrangement, though a daily fee is payable.

Non-glider pilot visitors are always welcome and we can offer corporate rates for groups by special arrangement. Contact us well in advance check out the contact details on the Visitors' page.

All new members are issued with a copy of "Cloudbase – A Reference Manual for Glider Pilots", a superb book which covers most aspects of gliding. This book is not only aimed at newcomers to gliding, but also experienced pilots who are new to Worcester.

While the Cape Gliding Club is not a “commercial” organisation in any way, we do offer introductory “air experience” flights to interested visitors. If you would like to stay overat the airfield, the local power-flying club is able to offer basic accommodation in their clean, four-bed bunkhouse. A swimming pool, lawns and ablution facilities make visiting the airfield as comfortable as possible.