Gliding course

[CumbrianMum2]

16 year-old DD keen to do a residential gliding course, partly because she just wants to do it, and partly to fulfil D of E requirement to spend 4 days away. We're struggling to find somewhere that caters for teenagers below 18 - we need somewhere where there's catering on site (rather than being expected to go to the pub every night) and where she's likely to find others of a similar age. Any ideas?

Can't see anything for gliding in this country, only USA. Have you contacted your local gliding club?

DD has the option to do gliding as part of her schools Combined Cadet Force (Air Cadets), so they might be able to point you in the right direction: www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/

Have you tried Lasham? Don't know about ages but they have catering & accomodation. Or there was a place in Shropshire, Long Mynd with accomodation.

there's Sailplane & Gliding magazine, will have ads & info. Tons of gliding clubs in this country :)

Thanks for all the suggestions. There are plenty of residential courses, but I think they are either aimed at adults or families. She may have to wait a year or two and hope to join a gliding club at uni.

Shenington Gliding club takes from 14 yrs old, tis an informal place tho (ex husband flies hence odd bits of info).

Air training corps offer lots.

I know a ton of kids who have done them - it always makes me laugh to think that kids are flying powered aircraft solo before they are even allowed behind the wheel of a car. The sense of empowerment when the instructor gets out and you prep for solo take-off?

Freaking hilarious.

I have no idea how it's even allowed in this health and safety crazy era, but if am glad it is.

ATC would also give her lots of other opportunities to complete her d of e.

Interesting that she wants to do this for her residential element.

Hmmm... I can't see her taking up ATC at this stage, although it would have been a good idea a year or so ago - she's really got enough on her plate with 4 A levels, EPQ, D of E, local volunteering, etc... And I'm sure Shenington is lovely, but they don't do residential courses and to stick her in a B and B would probably make for a rather lonely week. We said we'd do a course with her, but for D of E she has to be staying in an unfamiliar environment and not with anyone she knows.

I didn't join until I was 17. I had already finished bronze, and was on the way to silver, was doing a levels, was a ranger, local volunteering, county track athlete, all the above.

It added an extra dimension to my university applications, if I'm honest, as well as providing additional opportunities for all sorts of residential stuff (winter mountaineering in the Cairngorms, flying, annual camps with work experience) I ended up being the rent-a- female option for everyone else's gold expeditions, if there was only a single girl needing a qualifying exped at that point. It was fabulous.

But if she just needs a residential, there are usually all sorts of summer camps looking for junior volunteer support. I did mine with a group offering holidays for disadvantaged kids. I scrubbed bogs in the evenings, and accompanied the kids to activities during the day. There were about six of us allocated to each week during the summer hols iirc.

Maybe she can put the gliding off until the next award level?

Well, you sound as if you have rather more get up and go than my DD! She is doing her gold, so can't put it off until the next level, but I will investigate the ATC - you make it sound very rewarding and I hadn't realised you could join it so late on.