About Our Club
We fly from Currock Hill and have one of the most modern fleets for a gliding club of our size anywhere in the UK. We have three SZD Puchacz two-seater composite training gliders for instructional and early solo gliding and a Grob Astir CS77 composite single seat glider for solo flights and cross-countries. We are well placed to benefit from soaring in the wave which often sets up over the Pennines on a south westerly wind; and our pilots also enjoy thermal soaring in the summer months.
Above: Club aircraft at the launch point. The Tug about to launch the Astir and in the background the clubs three Puchacz can clearly be seen.
Our airfield is situated high above the Tyne Valley. In fact the airfield is 800 feet above sea level and has commanding views towards the Pennines and Tyne Valley to the West, the Cheviot Hills to the North with Tyneside and North Sea Coast to the East.
We use one of our three Puchacz two seater gliders for training. The pupil flies from the front seat, the instructor flies from the rear seat. They both have exactly the same controls and instruments so that the instructor can offer assistance where ever needed. Puchacz are renowned for their good handling characteristics and cope well with all aspects of training from initial flights to advanced maneuvers and cross country. They also have been well proven aerobatic gliders as they can perform many of the most difficult of aerobatic maneuvers and are tested to +7g/-5g. They are constructed in Poland out of composite materials. The name Puchacz is Polish for 'male owl'.
| Wingspan | 16.67 m |
| Wing Area | 18.16 m² |
| Length | 8.38 m |
| Empty Glider Mass | 365 kg |
| All Up Mass | 570 kg |
| Max L/D (45 knots) | 30:1 |
| Stall Speed | 36 kt |
| VNE (Velocity Never Exceed) | 116 kt |
The club also owns a Grob Astir CS77 single seat glider. Club members progress to this glider after about 20 solo flights in the Puchacz. The Astir features a large wing area, a T-tail, the ability to carry water ballast and a retractable main wheel. The CS77 is an improved version of the Astir and has a different rudder profile and a more angular nose. The Astir CS77 has good performance which enables long distances to be flown more easily.
| Wingspan | 15.00 m |
| Wing Area | 12.40 m |
| Empty Glider Mass | 255 kg |
| All Up Mass | 450 kg |
| Max L/D (at 56 knots) | 38:1 |
| Stall Speed | 36 kt |
| VNE (Velocity Never Exceed) | 132 kt |
The Piper Pawnee PA-25 235 C is used as the clubs tug plane. Originally designed as a crop spraying aircraft, the Piper Pawnee’s excellent climb rate and general ability has made it one of the best all round tug aircraft in the world.
| Horse Power | 235 hp |
| Top Speed | 108 kt |
| Cruise Speed | 99 kt |
| Stall Speed | 56 kt |
| Empty Mass | 714 kg |
| All Up Mass | 1315 kg |
| Rate of Climb | 700 fpm |
| Range | 222 miles |
The club owns a Skylaunch Winch which has two drums and is powered by a 7.4 liter General Motors V8 engine. This produces 340 horse power and with its variable control throttle, it allows the winch driver to consistently launch all gliders to 1000-1500 ft in all acceptable wind conditions. The winch runs on LPG so is very efficient and good to the environment. For cable retrieves and ground based jobs the club has two tractors and a 4x4.
Whether you are new to gliding or already have some hours under your belt, please take a look around our website and see what fantastic facilities we have to offer you. Use the links on the right hand side to navigate your way around the site, where you will find all the latest news from around the club, information on trial lessons, all about the club fleet and much more.
