What is Gliding? What is RUGS?
HOW MUCH !?!
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Gliding is one of the ultimate aerial activities, piloting unpowered aircraft around the sky and using the hidden power within the atmosphere to remain airborne. It is quite simply one of the most exciting and exhilarating ways to spend a weekend.
WHAT EXACTLY IS GLIDING?
Gliding is a pastime in which people like you an me climb into an engineless aeroplane and get thrown into the air then fly around as if we were a giant wooden/fibre glass featherless bird. These aircraft are some of the most aerodynamically advanced flying machines, and in the hands of a suitable pilot can remain airborne for many hours and fly hundreds of miles.
THIS is a glider.
What is RUGS?
RUGS, or Reading University Gliding Society is a group set up at the University of Reading by some student types to enable other university members to fly as cheaply as possible.
Vantastic, but how exactly do gliders get into the air?
Recipe A, The Aerotow:
1) Take a glider containing one or two happy people inside.
2) Attach it, via a tow rope to the back of a powerful light aircraft.
3) Allow the light aircraft to take off normally, glider in tow.
4) At a pre-determined height, release the glider from the tow cable.
5) Have fun.
Recipe B, The Winch Launch:
1) Attach a 300 horsepower engine to a circular drum.
2) Place a glider and its occupants at the other side of the airfield.
3) Connect the drum and glider with a metal cable.
4) Rotate the drum very fast.
5) Look on amazed as the glider leaps into the air!
6) Release the cable at a suitable height.
7) Have fun.
Your average winch launch, note the winch cable attached to the underside of the glider.
Do you need any experience to join RUGS?
No. Absolutely no experience is needed to join RUGS. There are (friendly) fully qualified instructors at our base airfield who will teach you everything you need to know.
Where does RUGS fly from?
RUGS is affiliated with Shalbourne Soaring Society who operate from Rivar Hill airfield in Wiltshire, about 30 miles West of Reading (you can find out more about the airfield here).
SSS have been operating from Rivar Hill for about 30 years. The Society owns three two seat training gliders a K13, a K7 and a Puchacz plus three single seat gliders, two K8's and one Grob Astir. The club operates at weekends and Wednesday afternoons. Shalbourne uses winch launches only, which happily is the cheapest form of glider launch.
How do you get to the airfield?
Because we tend to fly in small groups we rely on car sharing to get to the airfield. This is normally arranged during the week and we fly at weekends.
What are the aims of the club?
The simple aim of the club is to get people to learn to fly as cheaply as possible. As more club members become proficient, the club can represent Reading at the inter-University gliding competition.
What are the personal challenges in gliding?
The first aim of any prospective pilot is complete their first solo flight, that is to launch in the aircraft, fly around and land the aircraft all BY YOURSELF. After this many people like to fly cross-country using rising air currents to remain airborne and fly amazing distances (the world record distance covered in a single flight is over 1000 kilometers!) Other people like to take on the stomach churning challenge of aerobatic flight.
It looks scary, is it safe?
More people are killed by falling coconuts per year than are killed in gliding accidents. Gliding is in fact much safer than many contact sports such as Rugby and Hockey. All the aircraft are maintained to specific standards and instructors are all fully licensed. As an extra precaution, you always wear a parachute whilst flying.
Can you drink and fly?
No, don't be silly.
Why do you fly?
WHY NOT?
HOW MUCH WILL THIS ALL COST ME?
See this page here!
Wanna see more of our pictures? then look here
If you want to join RUGS or just have other questions that have not been covered here, email the club at glidingclub@reading.ac.uk .
