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Gliding Qualifications

Gliding Qualifications

Your First flight experience also includes three months of temporary membership of the club.  If you enjoyed your First Flight, you may already have returned to the club to fly again, and feel you would like to progress and learn more.

The process and cost of learning to fly a glider, achieving your first solo and then becoming a qualified pilot is slghtly different to flying powered aircraft, and certainly much cheaper to achieve!

The British Gliding Association (BGA) manages the approved course requirements to achieve your Sailplane Pilots Licence (SPL).  At the DSGC, we have some of the best instructors and instructor coaches in the country, all of whom provide this training on a voluntary basis.

This process is also entirely provided at the pace of the student pilot.  If you are keen to come to the club often and progress quickly, then the instructor team will do their best to make this happen, but we have plenty of members who just want to enjoy the journey and take their time!

The SPL course is well described on the BGA Website here:

SPL Training Programme

 

Beyond the official solo pilot qualifications, it is possible to achive the following, and globally recognised FAI Badges.

The Silver Badge
Silver Badge
You need to make at least 1 flight of 5 hours duration. You need to achieve a gain in height of 1000 metres from the lowest point of a flight. You need to make a flight outwards from the airfield of at least 50 kilometres. (The last task normally requires you to also land in a remote field.)
The 100km Diploma (UK only)

Part 1: A pre-declared triangular flight (this is one where you say in advance what you are going to do) of at least 100 kilometres.
Part 2: A pre-declared triangular flight of at least 100 kilometres at an average speed of at least 65 kilometres/hour.

The Gold Badge

Gold Badge

For the gold badge you need to make at least one flight of at least five hours duration – you will normally have done this already for the silver badge. Then you need to achieve a height gain of at least 3,000 metres. (This is measured from the lowest point of your flight but whatever the circumstances you will be approaching the point where oxygen is needed). Lastly you must complete a flight of at least 300 kilometres.

Diamonds

Gold Badge with 3 Diamonds

Diamonds which are worn on the silver or gold badge are awarded for each of the following achievements:

  • The Height diamond for a gain of at least 5,000 metres (about 16,405 feet).
  • The Distance diamond for a flight of at least 500 kilometres.
  • The Goal diamond for a pre-declared flight of at least 300 kilometres.

It is a big achievement to gain all three diamonds. (Only 800 British pilots have achieved all 3 Diamonds – not necessarily flying in the UK.)

After Diamonds

There is a 750 kilometre diploma (UK only) and the FAI issues diplomas for flights of 1,000 kilometres or more in 250 kilometre increments.