Gliding Courses

Beginner or Advanced, You Decide the Course For You

“Learning how to fly a glider gave me a sense of freedom and fulfilment like nothing else – I wish I’d done it years ago!”

Introductory Courses

An Introductory gliding course is your first step in learning to fly. The course is designed to provide you an immersive day of flying, pairing you with an experienced instructor, giving you the chance to become familiar with gliding by understanding the basics.

A day of instruction to teach you gliding

  • Learn the basics in a day
  • Take control in our modern two seater training gliders
  • Dedicated instructor
  • Training over multiple flights
  • Experience soaring if conditions permit

Beginners Courses

The Beginners course takes you from the basics of controlling the glider to where you are doing most of the flying. You will also learn how to turn, fly straight, land and take-off. You may also get the opportunity to soar up to the clouds and even experience some basic aerobatics.

A week of instruction to teach you gliding

  • Learn to fly in a week
  • Take control in our modern two seater training gliders
  • Dedicated instructor
  • Training over multiple flights
  • Experience soaring and aerobatics if conditions permit

Advanced Courses

If you have done a beginners course, the advanced course takes you through to the next stage of going solo in the club gliders. Also, many people enter gliding having already learnt to fly powered aircraft or are returning after some years away from the sport, so the advanced course gets them quickly orientated and flying on their own as soon as possible.

Book an advanced course if:

  • You have completed beginners training and want to solo in club gliders
  • You are a Power pilot and want to fly gliders solo
  • You are coming back to gliding after a lengthy break
  • You have some gliding experience but want some dedicated instruction


pilot aerial view from glider

We Offer Three Different Course Options

Introductory Course

closeup view of glider in sunlight at aston down airfield cotswolds
  • Learn the basics in a day
  • Take control in our modern two seat training gliders 
  •  Dedicated Instructor
  • Training delivered over multiple flights
  • Experience soaring if conditions permit

Beginners Course

K21 landing on a gliding course at cotswolds gliding club
  • Learn to fly in a week
  • Take control in our modern two seat training gliders 
  • Dedicated Instructor 
  • Training over multiple flights
  • Experience soaring and aerobatics if conditions permit
  • Accommodation available

Advanced Course

Glider landing with solo pilot at aston down cotswolds gliding club

Book an advanced course if:

  • You have completed a beginners course and you wish to get solo
  • You are a power pilot and wish to to try gliding
  • You are coming back to gliding after a break
  • You want some focused gliding instruction
New solo pilot after one week gliding course at Cotswolds Gliding Club

One Week To Solo

Our 2023 courses are already helping people achieve something they thought they would never do.

Here is course member Chris, on the left, being congratulated by instructor Sam after his first solo flight.

Following his course Chris decided to join us, becoming a member. We wish Chris all the best for his gliding future who knows what he might achieve.

Think you could do this?