Why sponsor OUGC? Oxford University Gliding Club has managed to bring the thrill and fascination of flight to countless young people for many years. Indeed there is significant evidence to suggest that it may be at least as far back as 1938 when the first Oxford students took to the air in a glider under the banner of the Oxford University and City Gliding Club - from a field that is now sadly beneath the Farmoor Reservoir, west of Oxford. Many of those young people have as a result, gone on to find careers in aviation - both military and civilian; often as pilots, as a natural progression of their experiences with university gliding. In fact, it is not to far fetched to say that you may well have flown abroad on holiday or on business with a pilot who started their career as a glider pilot with our club. From a Student perspective, the educational value of gliding alone is of great value, as gliding represents science in action. It encompasses subjects as maths, physics, geography, meteorology, navigation and engineering. The very activity of flying teaches a person to exercise their own judgment; it enhances mental acuity, self confidence and decision making skills. It also provides an important social network and camaraderie that can last a lifetime. For a Student, coming to university to study is a wonderful opportunity to stretch a young persons mind in specialist subject areas. OUGC compliments that experience by offering the recreational quality of life that study alone can not provide. Oxford University Gliding Club is largely, a self funding club that relies mainly on the membership fees and flying fees of its members. In 2004 the RAF left Bicester Aerodrome and so to did the support mechanism that OUGC enjoyed with them - we became almost completely self sufficient. Now some years on, we are still flying. We’ve managed to keep our small fleet of three gliders in good order and airworthy thanks to the efforts of a small number of supporters; but increasing maintenance and insurance costs are making things inevitably more difficult. Can you help? By sponsoring Oxford University Gliding club, you'll be helping us to keep our small fleet flying. We can continue to provide students with valuable new skills and adventures, and generally help make the quality of student life that much richer. If you’d like to help, then either click on the link below to make an on-line donation or contact the club president who will be able to offer any further information you may require. Thank you for taking the time to read this message.
Our current projects include: Replacement of the protective coating to the wings of our two seat training glider (AS-K21). |
