Gliding in Suffolk with the Essex Gliding Club
Wednesday 3rd July 2024
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are delighted to announce a very popular event – Gliding with the Essex Gliding Club, at Ridgewell Airport, Ashen Road, Ashen, Sudbury, Essex, CO10 8JU on the Essex Suffolk border.

Dave Hertzberg and the Crew are preparing a very special airborne welcome for us. Situated almost midway between Braintree and Bury St Edmunds, and just over an hour from East London, we’re sure this this super friendly, pro-active gliding club will be a magnet for many of our members.

With a dedicated K13 two-seater glider (the workhorse of many gliding clubs) they are offering us “the fascination of silent flight.” The views above the East Anglian countryside are absolutely stunning. Below a patchwork quilt of forests, fields and farmlands. To the south-east the jagged coast line and the North Sea, to the north west the spires of Cambridge and to south-west the skyline of London.

A Fantastic Experience!

For our ‘taster’ days they are offering a winch tow, where the glider is hooked on to a steel cable. At a pre-arranged signal the winch – situated at the far end of the airfield, over a km away – starts winding in the cable. The glider is launched along the runway and accelerating becomes airborne, and can then rapidly climb to heights of approximately 1200′ to 2000′ (depending on wind conditions). At the top of this climb, the winch cable is released, and falls to the ground under a small parachute. Meanwhile the glider is free to fly away.

We start this aerial experience on Wednesday 3rd July 2024.

We plan to arrive at 11.30 am for a meet and greet, with flying starting at 12.00 pm. And we should be finishing around 3.00 pm. But please remember this is a weather dependent activity and there could be delays.

Don’t forget: It is entirely free of charge to Sportability participants.

This is very simply operation, in a rural setting, run by an enthusiastic band of experienced [and qualified] flyers. But the facilities on site are limited. There is a loo, but NOT accessible! However there is an accessible loo at the Sturmer Nurseries (and a well-stocked cafeteria) one mile east of Haverhill on the A1017 – that’s about 10 minutes’ drive from the airfield. We were advised to park on the concrete rather than the gravel by the helpful owner.

Please note that for the gliding day there is a limitation of height and weight, so we can’t take anyone over 6ft 4ins or 16 stone.

So just to recap on those details:

Wednesday 3rd July 2024. Arrive 11.30 am until approx. 3.00 pm.

For directions go to the club’s website: www.essexgliding.com

And don’t worry if you’ve never even considered it before – you will have a blast. To paraphrase: If you can get to it. Just do it!

Contact Valerie at info@sportability.org.uk to check availability and book your place. We hope to see you there!

Best Wishes,
The Sportability Team.

Please note: Sportability wishes to point out that the events and activities are operated by established Service Providers. For the purpose of clarification, it should be understood that all participants in the sporting events and activities referred to on our website, in our newsletters or in any written or verbal communication, will be deemed to be clients of the Service Provider, and must adhere to that Service Provider’s Terms and Conditions, instructions and operating procedures.