Trevor's personal experience of gliding
I haven’t been gliding since going solo in 1980 when I was in the Air cadets. So I jumped at the offer of taking to the air after an absence of 25 years. I was not entirely sure that I could get into a glider after all I was in an electric wheelchair with NO weight-bearing abilities, but nevertheless I would try my very best!
It took 2½ hours to journey from Shrewsbury to Shenington in our diesel van and the weather seemed to close in by the time we got there. After three hours, the cloud base lifted sufficiently for flying to begin. “Chocks Away!”
I had to get into the glider using a mobile hoist and my legs (which are prone to spasm) were tied up away from the rudder pedals to allow the pilot full control. The memories of 25 years-ago came flooding back and although I knew what was to come, I was thrilled at being winched at 65mph in about 6 seconds and within 50 yards we were airborne.
I kept my eye on the altimeter and watched it rise to 950 feet before the pilot released the cable and we were free as a bird. Unfortunately the conditions for gliding were abysmal and there being no thermals around, we had only enough altitude to complete one circuit of the former World War II bomber station.
We safely landed and my pilot, a lady in her 70s, got out and towed it back to the launching point. All the effort of getting into the glider was well worth it to me and the twenty or so minutes spent hoisting me into the cockpit was rewarded when I was allowed to go for another flight – there are few times where being disabled has advantages, but this was on of them!
You can do amazing things and don’t let being in a wheelchair stop you!