Gliding club wants more women to take to the skies
Of almost 30,000 pilots in the UK, fewer than 5% are women
- Published
A gliding club in Devon is encouraging women to reach for the skies.
The Dartmoor Gliding Society said that fewer than 5% of almost 30,000 pilots in the UK were women and it wanted to encourage more to bring in fresh skills and experience.
Youngsters can qualify as a solo pilot at 14 and there is no upper age limit.
The club is holding a weekend-long event in June to encourage women and girls aged 13 and over to learn how to fly in the engine-free aircraft.
"If I can do it, you can," says club member Val Kiely
Val Kiely, 71, is currently the club's only female member.
Mrs Kiely, from Mary Tavy on Dartmoor, said she was given a voucher for her 70th birthday and had since not looked back.
She said: "It's just amazing that I can learn to do something like gliding. My age isn't a barrier."
The Dartmoor Gliding Society has been flying from Brentor Airfield for more than 40 years.
Gliders have no engine, instead using air heated by the sun to stay aloft after being catapulted into the sky or towed up by a plane.
They create almost no noise or pollution and the activity is much more affordable than powered flying.
"Gliding is the most amazing sport," says Steve Fletcher of the Dartmoor Gliding Society
Steve Fletcher, secretary of the Dartmoor Gliding Society, said it was the "best form of flying" and "the most amazing sport", and he hoped more girls and women would take it up.
He said: "It doesn't need an engine. We stay up on air currents and you can just soar over the fields for hours after hours silently. What could be better than that?"
Currently, the club's youngest member is 13 years old and the oldest is 82.
Mr Fletcher said he hoped the club's weekend event to attract more women would be a "huge success".
It is part of an initiative by the British Gliding Association, which said it was committed to broadening the sport and bringing in fresh skills and experience.
The event will be held at the Dartmoor Gliding Society at Brentor on 8-9 June.
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