December – January 2006

When we asked a sample of our readers what you wanted to read about, articles about winching were at the top of your wish list. So we’re grateful to Patrick Naegeli and Hugh Browning, two members of the British Gliding Association’s Safety Initiative, for taking the time to provide some vital reminders on the subject exclusively for S&G readers. Their words of wisdom are just one facet of the Initiative’s Safe Winch Launching project, which is being rolled out to BGA clubs as this issue of S&G is published. If you read only one article in the December-January S&G, I suggest you make it this one.

Limiting yourself to just one article, though, would mean you’d lose out on some great reading. You’d miss features like John Williams’ tips on flying fast in wave, based on the 500km he recently clocked up at 150km/h in Scotland. Then there’s the unusual perspective from his non-flying partner, Wendy MacPhedran, on his trip to test-fly the Antares electric motorglider. You’d also miss articles like Bill Malpas’ guide to getting going in the French Alps, which draws on more than a decade’s experience of introducing newcomers to this playground in the sky, and Anna Brain’s first-hand account of an early solo pilot’s first expedition there. (As a bonus, this issue also explains how you can get a free copy of Bill’s earlier S&G articles on Alpine soaring, which remain the definitive English-language guide.)

Closer to home for UK readers, Don Puttock outlines the basics of hill soaring technique; there’s really no excuse for not getting airborne and developing your skills even during the British winter. And closer still to every trainee pilot’s heart, would being able to book a training slot online boost your progress to solo? Cambridge GC’s experience with bookable online training suggests it might… John Birch reports. And the latest in our regular Why I Glide series sees Debb Evans interviewing Lasham stalwart Charlie Kovac, whose gliding career started with bungy launches on a Primary before World War Two.

For the competition-minded, Mike Young describes with his usual style and humour what it was like to take part in the first FAI International Sailplane Grand Prix. And, as well as results for all BGA-rated regionals and nationals, and the provisional ratings for the UK’s top 300 racing pilots, we’ve got Jay Rebbeck’s view of the British Club Class Nationals, Kim Tipple’s learning points from the Opens, and Gary Stingemore’s take on the Standards.

Finally, if you’re thinking ahead to what you want to do in 2006, take a look at Debb Evans’ five suggestions for gliding goals. Which will you be resolving to achieve in 2006? When you’ve decided, drop her an email to keep her posted and, who knows, you could be featuring in S&G this time next year!

Season’s greetings from all at S&G and the happiest of new years.