Just imagine flying at nearly six miles high and 100mph – and all without the help of an engine! You may not realise it, but that’s what you can do in a glider – no matter what your age or physical ability.
There are few better places to have a go at this adrenalin-pumping adventure activity than the Shropshire Hills, where the Long Mynd is one of the longest established sites for gliding in the whole of the UK.
A warm welcome awaits you at the Midland Gliding Club, whose clubhouse, towards the southern end of the Long Mynd, boasts a café, overnight accommodation and other facilities.
Take to the skies – learn to fly over the Shropshire Hills.
Whether you’ve visited somewhere as visually spectacular as the Shropshire Hills or not, it’s almost inevitable that you’ve found yourself envious of anything and everything that’s been able to gracefully soar in the skies overhead – well now there’s an opportunity for you to take to the skies above the Shropshire Hills and experience the beauty from above.
At the Midland Gliding Club find yourself looking down on the Shropshire Hills, with not so much as the note of a motor to interrupt the sound of the wind gently whistling past your cockpit, and uninterrupted views of the landscape below.
Taking a trial flying lesson is more affordable than you may think and an exhilarating way to experience the area’s beauty. The gliding club runs pilot training courses throughout the summer and offers a First Flight experience (by prior arrangement, but is often available at short notice during the week and at a discount price).
A First Flight voucher will deliver one or two winch launches and 20 minutes of flying. And, if the flying bug bites you, your First Flight voucher also brings you three months’ club membership, so all you have to pay on top to learn to fly is a modest monthly flying fee, plus launch fees for each time you take to the air.
The gliding club operates from an extensive airfield site at the southern end of the Long Mynd, at the very heart of the Shropshire Hills. It is one of the oldest gliding clubs in the country, having been founded in 1934, and operates all year –and seven days a week from March to November.
Besides the club’s hangar and glider workshops, there’s also a comfortable clubhouse, with facilities including a lounge, bar and café. You can even stay at the club in a variety of bunk rooms and private bedrooms.
The gliding club can be reached by dramatic roads onto Long Mynd, from either Church Stretton, or from Bishop’s Castle.
Photography © www.midlandgliding.club
Click on these links to find places to stay and where to eat during your stay.
