Nestling down a country track in the heart of the Cotswolds there is a group of people dedicated to launching themselves into the air in small engineless aircraft made out of fibre glass.

The Cotswold Gliding Club celebrated its 60th anniversary this year having been formed in 1964.

Based on the beautiful and expansive Aston Down Airfield the club boasts some of the best gliding facilities in the country.

It is just a short drive away from Stroud and has over 150 members of all ages who meet regularly to practise their gliding skills.

Age is no barrier and when the Stroud News and Journal went along on a bright crisp autumn day, they met glider pilots aged 14 to 88.

Gliding instructor Dan Hayday took Matt Holmes up for a glider flight to show him what thrills can be had from flying high above the Five Valleys and beyond.

Dan, 25, lives in North Devon and drives up to Stroud as it has some of the best airspace and countryside.

He explained that we would be flying at between 2,500 – 3,000 feet up above Gloucestershire.

“If those thermal updrafts are rising and we find them, we can go as far up as they take us, sometimes to over 10,000 feet,” said Dan.

Once in the air the scenery is truly beautiful and exhilarating at the same time. There is a small joystick which you can touch gently and it will take you up, down, to the left and to the right along with dials which measure your speed, altitude and whether you are climbing or dropping.

Cotswold Gliding Club has 31 gliding instructors and around 100 gliders most of which are privately owned with nine club aircraft. Gliders cost around £150,000 to £250,000 to buy new, although a share in an older one can be purchased for a few thousand.

Chris Cooper from the gliding club said: “Our membership comes from all backgrounds with our youngest pilots flying solo at 14 years of age and some older pilots flying well into their 80s. “Being an active club, we host many events throughout the year including national gliding competitions (with over 60 gliders participating), along with global gliding meetings (we hosted the 2023 International Vintage Glider Rally), and other aviation events including an Airborne Fireworks Display on 26 October this year.
“We have a range of two-seater and single-seater training gliders, that will take you from an absolute beginner through to learning advanced soaring and cross-country flying.
“Our welcoming mix of members makes this the ideal location for you to learn the basics of gliding and to become an active club member.”

Dylan Poppleman, 14, a college student at SGS is a trainee glider pilot who enjoys his time at the club.

Dyland said: “It is just really fun – it feels free up there.”

At the other end of the age scale is John McWilliam, 84, an ex-RAF man who once flew a glider 1,000 kilometres in a single day in Australia.

“I also flew 860 kilometres in the UK to the East Coast and back again twice,” said John.

For more information visit: Cotswoldgliding.co.uk