Cotswold Gliding Club

The Cotswold Gliding Club (CGC) is based at Aston Down airfield, between Cirencester and Stroud in Gloucestershire, South West England.

In 1980-1, with the help of Sports Council grants and other loans, the club purchased a large part of the airfield when it was auctioned off by the Ministry of Defence.

The high launches make it easy to contact the abundant thermals that rise from the well-drained Cotswold limestone to give excellent soaring conditions.

The club operates seven days a week during the soaring season (April to September), and on Wednesdays and at weekends during the winter months.

[9] Group flying for work parties, clubs, etc takes place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in the summer.

[10] In 2008 the club introduced courses specifically designed to give power pilots a hands-on introduction to soaring flight.

[12] Privately owned motor gliders based at Aston Down are available for club members for field landing and Cross Country Endorsement checks.

This flying takes the form of either local soaring or more ambitious cross-country flights, often covering several hundred kilometres.

[14] The excellent runway and facilities available at Aston Down make it a frequent choice for hosting regional and national gliding competitions.