Gliding In Thailand

[roderick17]

Hi  All

 

I've never been gliding and I'd like to give it a go.

 

Are there any gliding schools or such like that carry into the sky, an adventurous soul who is will to pay for his first soaring experience ??

[AlfHuy]

Me neither.

[canopus1969]

Nok used to offer Gliding lessons in a Blanik but I do not know if they still do, maybe contact them ?

 

http://www.nokaviation.com/

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, roderick17 said:

I've never been gliding and I'd like to give it a go.

 

Are there any gliding schools or such like that carry into the sky...

"if you want to learn to glide in Thailand , there is (at the moment) only one way to go about it. Just contact Nok Flying Club 06-6702449 and ask for a Trial Lesson"

http://www.nokaviation.com/gliding.htm

 

Funny what a Google can do, eh?

[Crossy]

Gliding can be hazardous, from our own forum:-

 

 

Many moons ago I used to go gliding in the UK, I needed to add ballast to get the centre-of-gravity in the safe range. Those days are long gone, I'm not even sure I could still fit in the cockpit ????  

 

EDIT My old club is still operating https://www.bannerdown.co.uk/

Scarily the young lady in the blue dress bears a striking resemblance to my ex. blue eyes, blonde hair, dead heat in a zeppelin race, suspicious bump (the bump ended my gliding career, his name is Mark Anthony).

[Antonymous]

I'd love to glide too, but was not allowed to because I used to get the occasional migraine. That was a medical condition considered to make (solo) gliding unsafe. It makes sense because migraine affects vision badly.

 

However I was allowed to learn to fly a plane (with an engine) and did so in various aircraft including being able to land successfully 'blindfolded' by following only radioed instructions from the tower, which was my instructor's (illegal) way of teaching control and confidence in case I ever did get migraine!

[CLW]

I think there is a flying club at U-Tapao Airport that offers all kinds of ultralight aircraft such as gliders, motorized parachutes etc.

[ChrisKC]

21 hours ago, Crossy said:

Gliding can be hazardous, from our own forum:-

 

 

Many moons ago I used to go gliding in the UK, I needed to add ballast to get the centre-of-gravity in the safe range. Those days are long gone, I'm not even sure I could still fit in the cockpit ????  

 

EDIT My old club is still operating https://www.bannerdown.co.uk/

Scarily the young lady in the blue dress bears a striking resemblance to my ex. blue eyes, blonde hair, dead heat in a zeppelin race, suspicious bump (the bump ended my gliding career, his name is Mark Anthony).

Congratulations for 30,000 likes!!

[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, ChrisKC said:

Congratulations for 30,000 likes!!

 

I hadn't even looked for ages ???? 

[AgMech Cowboy]

21 hours ago, Crossy said:

Gliding can be hazardous, from our own forum:-

 

 

Many moons ago I used to go gliding in the UK, I needed to add ballast to get the centre-of-gravity in the safe range. Those days are long gone, I'm not even sure I could still fit in the cockpit ????  

 

EDIT My old club is still operating https://www.bannerdown.co.uk/

Scarily the young lady in the blue dress bears a striking resemblance to my ex. blue eyes, blonde hair, dead heat in a zeppelin race, suspicious bump (the bump ended my gliding career, his name is Mark Anthony).

The cartoon and EDIT went right over my head. Considering you can't understand it for me. I won't ask you to explain it. ???? (after all Mark is my brother; although, I knew a French golf instructor here in Bangkok by that name, too)

[jdlhalliday]

Many moons ago I was a fully qualified glider pilot in Cornwall UK . But sadly had to give it up because of marriage and a family. I have flown the Blanik many times as a 2 seater and solo machine. I believe the Blanik can also be flown inverted, but I have never tried that. I had just started my training to be an instructor when I quit .  Sadly too old to start again, but my experiences flying in Cornwall will stay with me forever. I also flew a Blank in Australia too. I often felt the experience of being at one with the elements was better than sex. 

[jdlhalliday]

Just spotted this on Nok Aviation website. "Please also note:- Gliding operations have been regrettably suspended indefinately at Nok Flying Club, and we are currently unaware of any other Gliding operations in Thailand. ""

[Tug]

Do it you won’t regret it a truly wonderful experience skys!!!

[norfolkandchance]

16 hours ago, jdlhalliday said:

Many moons ago I was a fully qualified glider pilot in Cornwall UK . But sadly had to give it up because of marriage and a family. I have flown the Blanik many times as a 2 seater and solo machine. I believe the Blanik can also be flown inverted, but I have never tried that. I had just started my training to be an instructor when I quit .  Sadly too old to start again, but my experiences flying in Cornwall will stay with me forever. I also flew a Blank in Australia too. I often felt the experience of being at one with the elements was better than sex. 

Also many years ago I used to fly out of a Military Airbase in East Anglia. Weather was unpredictable so one weekend circuits, next weekend up the east coast. All you paid for was £1 for a winch launch.

Second best experience was flying in Nevada.

First best experience was a flight in a Tornado GR1.

Now that was better than sex.

[SomchaiCNX]

Unfortunately the CAAT does not support any activities like this. (actually I'm still looking at something they support in aviation ????  ) After trying many years with Nok I have given up and went to Australia in 2012 instead with the two sons 15 and 16 at that moment. We travelled around for a couple weeks in Victoria and our last stop was Tocumwal (NSW) at sportaviation. We all 3 went solo  in about 2 weeks something. It would never have been possible in Thailand at their age. I went back a couple times and have my silver C, missed the D because of personal reason of the tug pilot and started to late on the perfect day, but no problem. Also did my Australian sport license and my Tailwheel endorsement. If not for Covid I would have been over there. Both sons are eager to go back with me, both became aeronautical engineers and are commercial pilots. Except for NOK only the airforce used to have a couple GROB 109 motor gliders although you will find a (pre world war II) glider hanging on the sealing in the Museum in BKK. In Australia you sign your own medical, fill in the paperwork and pay the fees, in less than half hour you are in the air. in THailand they want you to have a Class II medical (probably) the only country in the world with such a requirement, student pilot license and much more, probably will take you 6 months before you can start training. Air traffic control add to more stress. Please hold at 2000 (feet for example)  but you are in a glider, have no engine and depend on thermals they really don't have a clue what a glider is. A self launching glider could be a solution and would not need a tug plane. Nok had to stop activities because the Blaniks got grounded worldwide and a restart was made very difficult by the Thai authorities. According to some people I have spoken an out landing would be considered as a crash and be investigated as such. In Australia they would send you a tug plane and retrieve you from the paddy you landed in, or send the back up team with trailer to disassemble the glider and pick you up, no worry. But I still dream that someday somebody at the CAAT will wake up and will see the beauty and the importance of it . If you check a lot of emergency landings that ended successfully you mostly find pilots that started as a glider pilot in their teens.  (Sully is one of them). It reminds me a little, the struggle they had to introduce rock climbing, took a lot of time to convince the TAT and other authorities.

[norfolkandchance]

4 hours ago, SomchaiCNX said:

Unfortunately the CAAT does not support any activities like this. (actually I'm still looking at something they support in aviation ????  ) After trying many years with Nok I have given up and went to Australia in 2012 instead with the two sons 15 and 16 at that moment. We travelled around for a couple weeks in Victoria and our last stop was Tocumwal (NSW) at sportaviation. We all 3 went solo  in about 2 weeks something. It would never have been possible in Thailand at their age. I went back a couple times and have my silver C, missed the D because of personal reason of the tug pilot and started to late on the perfect day, but no problem. Also did my Australian sport license and my Tailwheel endorsement. If not for Covid I would have been over there. Both sons are eager to go back with me, both became aeronautical engineers and are commercial pilots. Except for NOK only the airforce used to have a couple GROB 109 motor gliders although you will find a (pre world war II) glider hanging on the sealing in the Museum in BKK. In Australia you sign your own medical, fill in the paperwork and pay the fees, in less than half hour you are in the air. in THailand they want you to have a Class II medical (probably) the only country in the world with such a requirement, student pilot license and much more, probably will take you 6 months before you can start training. Air traffic control add to more stress. Please hold at 2000 (feet for example)  but you are in a glider, have no engine and depend on thermals they really don't have a clue what a glider is. A self launching glider could be a solution and would not need a tug plane. Nok had to stop activities because the Blaniks got grounded worldwide and a restart was made very difficult by the Thai authorities. According to some people I have spoken an out landing would be considered as a crash and be investigated as such. In Australia they would send you a tug plane and retrieve you from the paddy you landed in, or send the back up team with trailer to disassemble the glider and pick you up, no worry. But I still dream that someday somebody at the CAAT will wake up and will see the beauty and the importance of it . If you check a lot of emergency landings that ended successfully you mostly find pilots that started as a glider pilot in their teens.  (Sully is one of them). It reminds me a little, the struggle they had to introduce rock climbing, took a lot of time to convince the TAT and other authorities.

Good read.

The farmers used to rub their hands with glee if you landed on their crops. Good insurance claim.