The ultimate package to achieve solo gliding. If you really want to become a pilot, for £615 + current normal membership you get up to 1 year’s unlimited launches and flying time to achieve your target of going solo.
This unique scheme includes all winch launches, instruction and flying fees for a period of 1 year, or until first solo flight (subject to exclusions below) – all for the bargain price of £615 + £380 current normal membership!
After 1 year, if the member has not achieved solo flight, the scheme closes and the member continues his/her training at normal club rates. The scheme must be entered into within 12 launches of joining ESGC and these flights will be credited towards the cost.
As the scheme is intended to be used for training flights, all flights must be of an instructional nature, and flown with a BGA full-rated or assistant-rated instructor at Wormingford. Shared flights with other club members are not covered by the scheme. The maximum length of any flight paid for by the scheme is 1 hour. If a flight lasts longer than 1 hour, any duration in excess of one hour will be charged at the club per-minute rate in force at that time. Junior members are eligible for a 50% discount off the core pricing structure.
For safety reasons, all members and visitors who fly with us must meet or exceed certain minimum medical requirements, and be neither too heavy nor too light for correct ballasting of the aircraft. The majority of people will meet these requirements with ease. For full details please see Medical and Weight Issues. Terms and Conditions are available here.
Or contact our membership secretary on membership@esgc.co.uk for further details.
This does not make sense. What if you are, say, halfway to solo, or one hour away from solo? You are saying in effect that if in the opinion of an instructor you are ready for solo, you could pay a substantial sum for “fixed priced to solo” and you get two or three flights.
If you want to encourage membership and ways to keep the costs reasonable, why not at least also offer so many HOURS, or LAUNCHES up to a maximum. Many glider pilots are rusty or might need training to RE-solo. This package offers them absolutely nothing.
Matters are far worse when you advertise fix price to solo but then confuse things later by ADDING the yearly membership. This makes things outrageously expensive. I do not think you are being very honest here about the actual charges. Your package is also very inflexible. The cost to you is NOT whether someone goes solo, but HOW MANY launches and how many hours in a glider costs to you. Why not be straightforward and simply list charges for a set number of launches, or a set course, or a defined course that results in progress.
I am not saying you are being deliberately misleading. I am saying that if you are offering something you need to make the conditions crystal clear and also be flexible enough to accommodate a large number of students who are not absolute beginners.
Addendum to previous post: You are also not a seven day per week operation. Your yearly membership is expensive and on a par with other clubs that operate seven days per week.
Hello again,
Thanks for your comment. Essex and Suffolk Gliding Club operate four days per week during the winter months rising to five, six or seven days during the summer months if our UK weather delivers suitable soaring days. We feel strongly that our current fees offer very good value for money and are certainly cheaper than the year round seven day per week clubs that you may be alluding to. We would be very happy to discuss your requirements in more detail and give you a trial flight if you wish to visit us in person.
Hi there,
Thank you for your comments regarding ESGC’s Fixed Price To Solo, however this very successful package is specifically designed for people with little no or no flying experience wishing to achieve solo gliding status at their own pace. If we are approached by pilots with the experience you mention in your post, we would obviously advise them to embark upon a different and more cost effective route to solo. Our website clearly states that the total package cost consists of two elements including the scheme itself plus membership as below:
“This unique scheme includes all winch launches, instruction and flying fees for a period of 1 year, or until first solo flight (subject to exclusions below) – all for the bargain price of £630 + £365 Membership!
After 1 year, if the member has not achieved solo flight, the scheme closes and the member continues his/her training at normal club rates. The scheme must be entered into within 12 launches of joining ESGC and these flights will be credited towards the cost.
As the scheme is intended to be used for training flights, all flights must be of an instructional nature, and flown with a BGA full-rated or assistant-rated instructor at Wormingford. Shared flights with other club members are not covered by the scheme. The maximum length of any flight paid for by the scheme is 1 hour. If a flight lasts longer than 1 hour, any duration in excess of one hour will be charged at the club per-minute rate in force at that time. Junior members are eligible for a 50% discount off the core pricing structure.”
Could you please provide opening times when U can come in and discuss gliding lessons to solo for my wife and me. We live in Sudbury. Thank you
Hi Christopher, you are welcome to visit the club anytime, but the best operational days at this time of year would be Sat, Sun, Wed and Fri.
We look forward to meeting you.
So what is the Junior price for fixed to solo and if it is £300 that is a bit pricey and is their anything off for being a cadet in the ATC. I am really interested in gliding though and would love to take it up
Hi Tommy, did you receive a satisfactory response to your question and information regarding ESGC’s Junior Cadet scheme?
Is there a minimum age for the junior fixed price to solo please?
Hi Theresa, thanks for your enquiry. I will ask our membership secretary to contact you directly about your question.
Hi there, I am actually quite interested in the membership.
I would like to ask, is there any classes involved in this?
Like theory. I have never done it before. Would be nice if I could receive some more details about the membership. Thanks
Hi,
There are no theory classes as such but we do have flight briefings before the flying starts. You will also have individual lessons with an instructor who will talk about the theory of flight, rules, regulations, airmanship etc. before and after your flight(s).
From the British Gliding Association website you could get a book called “The Glider Pilot’s Manual” – 20 GBP – which gives you all you need when starting to glide and later on the book “Bronze & Beyond” to prepare yourself for the Bronze exams.
The fixed price to solo is 660 GBP plus 365 GBP membership fee.
You could start with a day course – which gives you an idea about it all. It costs 150 GBP. Or a trial lesson at 75 GBP. If you then decide to join there will be some deduction from your membership fee, which you can discuss with the membership secretary.
I hope this helps.
Regards
Andreas
Hi, is there any payment plan / monthly payments available for this amount or is this a one of payment. Very interested in Gliding, something I’ve been interested in doing for a while.
Hi Paul, pretty sure we can work something out to satisfy your requirement. If you call the club, someone can give you the membership secretary’s number so that you can discuss in more detail. I’ll also ask him to email you directly.
Hi,
I completed a gliding scholarship with the aircadets and have around 40hours flying experience, would this still count towards working towards my solo lisence or would i need to start again
Hi Scott, yes this experience would definitely count towards your solo progress and beyond.
Hi its tempting but £360 membership mmm anything of for retired and disabled
Please call the club and discuss these options directly with our membership secretary.