Learn to Glide

At the Cape Gliding Club, teaching people of all ages is a speciality. Costs are kept to a minimum through out qualified instructors giving their time and expertise absolutely free of charge. The philosophy is that as they all learned for free, so it is only fair to pass on this knowledge in the same tradition. Also, by making gliding as affordable as possible, more people will be encouraged to take it up as a sport and hobby.

Prospective student pilots can visit the airfield and become members immediately, receiving their first lesson on the same day. For the costs, please view the "Rates" page.

Student pilots can either train at weekends or couple this with one of our courses, which are usually run in April and September. These courses provide a helpful “kick start” to the practical training syllabus. However, it is not essential that students attend courses, just that it will take slightly longer to solo when learning at weekends only.

There is no pre-set number of flights or hours before you can reach solo stage, as much depends on age, aptitude, attitude, and any prior experience with flying. Experience with model flying and even computer flight simulator programs is a benefit. A typical student without prior experience should solo after about 30 to 50 dual instructional flights, using aerotow launches. If winch launching is to be used, the number of flights to solo could increase dramatically, as the flights are of much shorter duration.

It should be noted that students are required to have obtained an Aeronautical Radio Operator’s Licence, have passed a medical examination and have written an exam in SA Glider Rules & Regulations before being permitted to fly solo. The Radio Licence course is usually given at one of the power flying clubs at Cape Town International Airport or at the Worcester Flying Club. The Rules & Regulations exam is bases on a booklet which students are given by the Gliding Club.

In parallel with the practical syllabus, theory lectures are given in the subjects that students are required to pass exams in. These are Airmanship, Instruments, Meteorology, Aerodynamics and Cross-Country Flight. These subjects are covered in the Club’s own gliding manual, “Cloudbase”, which is issued to all new members. In addition to this there are one or two excellent gliding manuals available commercially.

John de Beer goes solo on the April 2004 Ab Initio Course

Should you wish to join one of our courses, please check out the details by viewing the "Courses" page.

If you have questions (we are sure you will have) please contact one of the people listed on the "Contact Us" page. They will be only too happy to talk to you about gliding and provide you with more details.