Costs
Gliding is the cheapest way to learn to fly.
Training
For a pre-solo member there are three main costs:
- Annual membership
- Launch fee: charged for getting into the air (this includes the first 10minutes of flight for flights in CGC owned planes).
- “Soaring” or airtime fee: charged for every minute you fly.
The number and length of flights you have will depend on the weather, how busyit is that day, and what stage you are in your training.
Annual Membership
There are two kinds of CUGC (annual) memberships:
- Student Membership: £140 (after attending a trial flight, £160 without a trial flight).
- Staff/Alumni Membership: £645. This is the annual membership fee for theCambridge Gliding Centre and you will be a full member there. You will, ofcourse, be able to participate in CUGC expeditions and other activities. Formore information visit http://www.camgliding.uk/join/
Flying Costs: Student Members
The cost of a given flight consists of a charge for the launch (by winch oraerotow) plus a charge for time spent in the air.
As a CUGC member you pay 60% of CGC soaring fees with the first 10 minutes beingfree. Winch launches are 90% of the CGC fee, while aerotows are charged at fullCGC rates. CGC’s flying fees can be found on their website.Moreover, you have access to our own glider CU (ASW 19b, single seater) at £18per hour.
Some illustrative charges are listed below, pleasesee the CGC website for the full list of CGC fees.
| Charge | CGC (non-students) | CUGC (students) |
|---|---|---|
| Winch launch | £11.40 | £13.00 |
| Aerotow to 2,000 ft | £37.00 | £37.00 |
| Two-seater flying for the first 10 minutes | £7.50 | free |
| Two-seater flying for every subsequent 5 minutes | £3.75 | £2.44 |
| Junior flying for the first 10 minutes | £6.50 | free |
| Junior flying for every subsequent 5 minutes | £3.25 | £2.11 |
You thus pay £13.00 for a winch launch and 10 minutes’ flying in a CGCtwo-seater, where CGC members would pay £18.90 for the same flight. A 20-minuteflight off a 2,000 ft aerotow would cost you £41.88 (£37.00 for the aerotow +10 minutes free + 10 minutes at £4.88), while a CGC member would pay £52.00(£37.00 for the aerotow + 20 minutes at £15).
Flying Costs: Staff/Alumni Members
As a full CGC member, their flying fees apply. Moreover, you haveaccess to our own glider CU (ASW 19b, single seater) at £54 per hour (capped at3 hours, so you pay at most £162 on a cross-country flight).
Long term costs
If you are thinking of taking gliding up as a hobby, you are probablyinterested in how much it going to cost in the long term, we usually think ofgoing solo as costing about the same as the Varsity ski trip.
The cost of going solo depends on your level of commitment and students can flyat a range of budgets. Below is an example of a “typical” student who aims toget from complete beginner to solo. This is not the cheapest option, but themost common.
| Item | Cost | Quantity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Membership | £140.00 | 1 | £140.00 |
| Winch Flights (10 min each with instructor) | £13.00 | 50 | £650.00 |
| Aerotow Flights (10 min with instructor) | £37.00 | 1 | £37.00 |
| Miscellaneous (log book etc.) | £20.00 | 1 | £20.00 |
| Total | £850.00 |
Coming twice a month will allow you to progress to solo reasonably quickly.
