The gliding world high above the Cotswold Vale

I dropped Helena at the station this morning as she was going off to London for a couple of days to meet several friends, one of whom is over from the Czech Republic. I felt a bit better today and had taken my camera with me, so after finishing a quick shopping trip, I took the first road out of town and climbed the hill towards Selsley. We had been there a couple of weeks ago when we met with the Horrigans at Easter for a short walk on the common.

I drove a bit further along the top edge of the Cotswold escarpment and thought I would drive into the gliding centre and see if I might find interesting subjects. I knew there was a cafe open to the public, so when I arrived I went straight there and bought a coffee to drink at a table on the edge of the big open fields. There were already many gliders gathering on trailers behind cars to be taken to the end of the grassy 'runway'. I worked out that there was a form of powerful winch set up at one end of the big field and the long line is dragged out behind a van to the other end, probably at least half a mile away. Gliders would then be attached to the line and a powerful machine would suddenly pull them rapidly forward launching the glider into the air with a noticeable loud noise of rushing air. Once they were a few hundred feet in the air, the line would be detached and would float down to the ground with a small parachute to slow its fall, and the glider would float around looking for thermals to keep flying on.

At one point I also saw a small red plane suddenly appear over the rather undulating grass towing a glider behind it, but I failed to have my camera ready. I watched it climb higher and higher before the glider detached itself, and then saw it circle around and fly back to the airfield to land. I thought this would be a more interesting subject and so I walked as close to the take-off area as the public seemed to be allowed. A man walked up to me and we engaged in friendly conversation and he was very willing to explain what was going on. He asked if I wanted to get closer to the queue of gliders waiting their turn for take-off and I jumped at the chance. He took me to the reception area and got me a hi-vis jacket and explained what not to do. He was heading off to his own glider which was stored there and would be flying in about an hours time.

I did then go to a good vantage point, but by then the plane had landed again and this time the pilot got out and started to examine the under carriage very closely. That was the last time the plane moved as apparently a bit fell off on the last towing flight that I had seen, and they had no spare available. So after watching a series of gliders being launched using the winch, I decided to return another day and hope that I could again get permission to get close up and spend a bit more time at the right spot to get good images. One glider was waiting to be towed to the launch point andI snapped this picture as it waited behind the car which was towing it. I just liked the shape of the aerodynamic fuselage and the wings. As I stood there the place was silent except for the songs of birds and particularly the skylarks which I could see flying high above me. A perfect way to spend a lazy summery day.

I returned the jacket to the office and saw an information board which said that Sir Peter Scott was one of the original fliers of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Gliding Club. It was set up when the original club formed in the 1930s had to move form the airfield near Bristol when it became Filton aerodrome. They paid a farmer for three fields on this site because its proximity to the edge of the escarpment meant that there was lots of good uplift. Apparently this isn't so essential nowadays with modern equipment. Francis, who had provided me with the jacket, lives in Bristol and flies here as often as possible. He said that the plane was the best way to launch because it can take you to more than 3,000 feet up very quickly. Some of the gliders travel hundreds of miles in a single flight and then manage to easily return to base. He suggested I take advantage of the cheap flights on offer, but I am scared of heights! Lots of people who seemed to all be involved in the club said hello to me, answered my questions and offered me lifts around the site. It was a very friendly lace so I will return.