Aviation

Glider Pilot

Welcome to my aviation journey!

I first went gliding at 14 with the Air Scouts and promptly forgot about it for two decades. Returning in 2022, I somehow ended up becoming a member of South Wales Gliding Club, flying the French Alps, learning to fly motorgliders and somewhere along the way I bought my own glider. This page documents how that happened.

I hold a Sailplane License (SPL). I’ve achieved my FAI Silver C badge (1000m height gain, 50km distance and 5 hours duration) and my 100km diploma.

This section documents my aviation achievements, including the milestones that shaped my development as a pilot, the practical tools I’ve created to help fellow pilots in their training, and the adventures I’ve experienced in the skies.

Aviation Milestones

A chronological record of my journey as a pilot, from first learning to glide to exploring cross-country flying in the French Alps.

August 2000
First flight at Aston Down
Started gliding with the Air Scouts at age 14.
April 2022
Returned to gliding
Resumed training at South Wales Gliding Club after a long break.
April 2023
First solo
Completed first solo flight in April 2023.
First solo flight
May 2024
Silver duration (5 hours)
Flew for five hours in May 2024 for Silver badge duration.
Silver duration achievement
July 2024
SPL achieved
Passed the SPL (Sailplane Pilot Licence) in July 2024.
License
August 2024
Bought a PIK 20D
Bought a PIK 20D — a Finnish high-performance glider from the late 1970s that still flies beautifully. Owning an aircraft is a different kind of commitment: you're responsible for its maintenance, its airworthiness, and everything that follows from taking it into the air. It's also deeply satisfying in a way that's hard to explain if you haven't done it.
PIK 20D glider
October 2024
Started TMG training
Began motorglider (TMG) training in October 2024.
January 2025
First TMG solo
First solo flight in a motorglider, January 2025.
First TMG solo flight
May 2025
Silver distance & height
Completed 50km flight and 3281ft height gain for Silver badge in May 2025.
Silver distance achievement
June 2025
100k diploma
Flew 100km in June 2025 for the 100k diploma.
June 2025
TMG cross-country
Completed qualifying cross-country flight in a TMG, June 2025.
TMG cross-country flight
July 2025
Flying in the French Alps
Flew in the French Alps in July 2025.
Glacier Blanc

Gallery

A selection of gliding photos

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TMG Posters

During TMG training I found myself struggling to memorise the various checklists and mnemonics through repetition alone, so I designed a set of visual reference posters to make them stick. Partly a learning aid, partly an excuse to do something practical with the material.

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