Glider aerobatics. Surely that's an oxymoron? Gliders are meant to, well, glide…rather than perform aerial tricks aren't they? Prepare to be amazed then, as you take to the sky in a high-performance glider to experience some classic aerobatic moves.
You'll be taking off from this very active Bedfordshire glider club near Dunstable. It's a brilliant place for performing aerobatics, as it's within close proximity to unrestricted airspace, so there's all that big blue sky to play with.
But first we have to ask the question. How does a glider (an aircraft that has no engine) do aerobatics? Well, the simple answer is that the glider doesn't need an engine to carry out such moves. From the moment the tug plane releases the glider at about 4000ft, your expert pilot uses that energy efficiently to trace those graceful patterns in the sky, with wonderful flowing lines.
Being able to fly aerobatics in a glider is a mighty fine skill to have. And it makes for a unique aerobatics flight in our book, which is why we couldn't wait to add it to our experience range.
You'll be going up as a passenger in one of the club's two seater gliders. Expect to try some basic aerobatics manoeuvres first, such as 45-degree down-lines. If you can literally stomach it, you'll be treated to a sequence of more advanced aerobatics that could include spins, loops and chandelles.
And yes, the moves are exactly the same as those done by powered aircraft. We'd even go as far as saying that the extra wing-span makes the moves even smoother and elegant.
Combining the grace of powerless flight and the agility of a high performance aircraft, glider aerobatics is an amazing experience. Book your slot now and get inverted in your glider!
