Gliding is an affordable way to take to the skies, especially when you consider that powered aircraft hire can cost
around £180 – £370 per hour.

At Southdown Gliding Club, you can expect to pay around £27 per hour to hire a glider,
around £37 for an aerotow launch and £11 for a winch launch …. and its all pay-as-you-go.

Unlike powered aircraft training, Gliding Instruction is provided free of charge at Southdown. It takes place under the
supervision of highly qualified BGA (British Gliding Association) instructors who are subject to regular competency
checks.

All the training can be given for you to achieve your Sailplane Pilots Licence and become a fully qualified
glider pilot. We can even train and coach you to achieve further qualifications like becoming a gliding instructor

Club membership costs a little over £400 per year, which compares favourably to annual fees for other leisure
activities such as golf or tennis.
These fees are reduced for students and junior members, with gliding for under-25s subsidised by the BGA and
by individual clubs which run their own schemes for juniors.

Check out our fees here: Fees & Tariffs 2026 – Southdown Gliding Club, West Sussex

If you want to know more, contact our club, or come along and visit us and talk to an instructor.