Exhilarating, sensational, exciting! This sums up the experience for 11 of us of Lasham Gliding Centre near Alton. A half-hour drive from Bedales landed us in the middle of the airfield, where we were greeted by two experienced instructors. After a safety briefing, where we learned how to use a parachute; we watched gliders and tug planes take off and land, whilst our gliders were prepared. One by one we took to the skies with an instructor, and were aero-towed to 2500ft. Having been taught the controls, we were given the opportunity to fly the glider for most of the flight. We learnt how to climb, soaring up to even higher altitudes, some of us reaching 3500ft! With flights lasting up to 1 hour 40 minutes, views of the English Channel and Hampshire’s picturesque countryside could be enjoyed. We look forward to seeing this as a new activity in September.
Text by Aidan Bunce-Waters, 6.1
Photos by Frances Vigars
