Essex and Suffolk Gliding Club appealing for more members

The Essex and Suffolk Gliding Club, in Wormingford, has been around for decades after being established in the late 1950s.

It has had several sites during its life and moved to the village in 1990 on the site of a former Second World War fighter base.

The club is run by volunteers, with the clubhouse home to about 160 members of the gliding club.

One member of the club is Kamil Bulak, 18, who is believed to be the youngest flying instructor in England.

Kamil said: “I got my instructor rating at 16 and I've always wanted to be an instructor since I started because I thought it would be a rewarding way to give back.

Members - Joe Benson, 16 (left) and Kamil Bulak, 18 (right)  (Image: Credited)

“The furthest that I've flown is 408 kilometres, that was with someone else, but on my own, I’ve flown just over 100 kilometres.

“We’ve got about 160 total members and about 20 to 30 of those are what we call junior members, so, we've got a good community of young people here.

Winch - Here you can see the cable which come from the winch and attaches to the glider around a mile away (Image: Credited)

"We're quite busy with trial flights and that sort of thing and recently there's been an influx of new young people, which is always nice to see.

“On a trial lesson, you get shown what the controls do, just get a feel for what it feels like to be flying that sort of thing and as long as you’re over 14 you can fly solo.”

The glider becomes airborne by being flung up by a winch, which sits around a mile away from the take-off area.

As the winch pulls and tightens the tension on the cable, it will start to build the glider up to speed and once the tension reaches a certain point, the glider flies up into the air.

When taking off the glider gets up to 60 miles per hour in just three seconds.

Another member of the club, Joe Benson, 16, said: “I think it's fantastic, there's nothing quite like it.

“Very few words to describe it without going and trying it yourself. I think it's so serene and peaceful being up by yourself.

“Recently I did 300 kilometres and that's my longest flight so far.”

Glider - This is the oldest glider they have at their disposal, around 1940s and possessing an open cockpit (Image: Credited)

Noemi Bako, 17, has only recently joined the club, and added how "everyone is so supportive of each other", describing the club as a "proper community".

Membership is open to all, and details of current subscription rates, flying costs, and more can be found online on the club's website.

Paul Rice, gliding instructor of around 40 years, said: “I've been here ever since we moved in 1990.

“I've been instructing for 40 years and I'm also a gliding inspector here, so I repair and check the gliders.

“The club couldn't exist without young people as you need new members coming along all the time and if they're younger they'll hopefully stick with it.”

From 2026, the club will need to find a new home as the land they currently use is being developed.

They remain on the lookout for the right airfield.