Why Taupo Gliding Club is one of the best clubs in New Zealand to learn to fly

WHY TAUPO GLIDING CLUB IS ONE OF THE BEST CLUBS IN NEW ZEALAND TO LEARN TO FLY by Eva Murray

Learning to glide seems to inspire some people to write down their experience and share their joy in their achievements with the world. And why not? Learning to fly gliders is an awesome thing to do. American Eva Murray shares her delight in the sport and praises the Taupo Gliding Club, where she attended a ‘Solo in a Week’ course.

My desire to learn to fly a glider began years ago in Hawaii, when my husband and I took a spectacular glider flight there. He subsequently obtained his power plane licence, while I became a mother and raised three children to adulthood. Learning to fly was off my agenda, until now.

In February 2011, I planned a one month vacation in New Zealand and thought this a perfect time to learn to glide. After searching the internet for a suitable gliding club in the North Island (one where instructional courses were available week days, as well as weekends, all year round and one with highly qualified instructors and a variety of gliders) I discovered the Taupo Gliding Club – and what a find it was!

Not only does the Taupo Gliding Club operate seven days a week but the wealth of experience of both A and B category instructors there is simply astounding - not only in the flying of gliders, but in their piloting experience in general, of planes ranging from Pawnee single engine tow planes, through Tiger Moths and military planes, to commercial airline jets. More than anything else, it was the instructors’ attention to detail and the rigour with which all aspects of instruction were carried out, that was so impressive.

I was amazed that the student pays only for the costs involved in flying. This is the reason that learning to fly at Taupo is affordable. It is also inspiring. Instructors teach for the love of gliding and for their desire to share this passion for flying. All instructors take gliding and its safety aspects very seriously. From day one, the rigour of the daily inspection (DI) of the glider prior to flight is systematically carried out and instilled into the student. The Glider

Pilot Study Manual is covered, the theory of safe and successful flight is carefully explained and the student is rigorously prepared for the written Certificate A and B exams. The Taupo Gliding Club thoroughly prepares its students to achieve their licence.

The success of the Taupo Gliding Club, however, is not just a function of its dedicated instructors. The neat, tidy and very functional club house, is very inviting and even offers very inexpensive accommodation for students and visiting pilots. The shelves and walls abound with novels, pictures and videos concerning flight - both technical and entertaining. The briefing room doubles as a movie theatre, the bar is always well stocked, and the kitchen can cater for a crowd. It feels like a home away from home. Monthly dinners and other get-togethers have established a camaraderie and bond between club members over the years that is very special, and which is generously and willingly shared with visitors.

So, in New Zealand, if you want to learn to fly gliders – at any time of year – you can’t do better than the Taupo Gliding Club. After only a week, my head is still spinning from the sheer amount I have learnt and the improvements I have made in flying. I will always be grateful for the professional, friendly and thorough instruction I received there.