Gliding; something to do on retirement

Nicholas J. Odom, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, New Zealand

Iwould like to share with you something that I have very recently started doing, namely gliding. I have always enjoyed the outdoors. My main outdoor recreation during most of my career was hillwalking (or “tramping” as the kiwis call it). I sometimes used to stop my car when out in the countryside and watch the gliders taking off and landing at Camphill in Derbyshire, or at the Long Mynd in Shropshire. At that time however I had neither the time nor the inclination to become actively involved. Having recently retired I now have more time. Sadly my leg muscles are not as strong as they were, I am developing arthritis under my kneecaps and in my left hip, so I simply do not enjoy hillwalking any more. I sometimes go sailing but I am finding that lifting the boat on and off the trailer is becoming too much for my back.

Piako Gliding Club flies from an airfield a few kilometres east of Hamilton. It has been voted the friendliest sports club in New Zealand. Having experienced a few trial flights I decided to join the club and start training as a glider pilot. Flying in a glider is nothing like being in a powered aircraft. The views through the perspex canopy are spectacular and the sense of space and freedom is highly addictive. Controlling a glider requires one to develop a new set of sensory and motor skills; it is a bit like trying to steer a boat in a lumpy sea, nothing like steering a car. The usual method of launching is aerotow, the glider being towed into the air by a light aircraft. The coordination required during the aerotow is particularly difficult to master, much more so than turning or landing. Having mastered the basic controls there are numerous other things to learn, both in the air and on the ground. When gliding one cannot be thinking about anything else. One needs to be aware of the wind and its effects at different altitudes, particularly when coming in to land. Navigation and radio skills are needed; the mantra “aviate, navigate, communicate” spells out the order of priorities when flying.

Understanding the atmosphere then comes into play. In order to remain aloft, gliders require currents of upward moving air. The usual method is “thermaling”, circling the glider in an upward air current. Finding thermals requires both skill and luck; one learns to look at cloud formations with a critical eye. A few kilometres northeast of the airfield is a long range of hills called the Kaimai. When the wind is from the southwest gliders can slope soar along the front of the Kaimai ridge, gaining several thousand feet in height and remaining airborne for hours. Flying back to the airfield against a strong headwind can be hairy; this may result in having to land in a paddock (kiwi for “field”), a skill I have yet to master.

I am particularly impressed with the club’s commitment to training and safety. Many of the instructors are of a similar age to me but most have been gliding for several decades. There is a comprehensive syllabus to master and various levels of competence to be achieved. Gliding accidents are extremely rare but when they do occur they can be catastrophic, often fatal (I once repaired a ruptured aorta in a glider pilot who crashed in Derbyshire). Most accidents result from inexperience and bad judgement, very similar to surgery really. There are many parallels between glider training and surgical training.

Learning new skills is important throughout life, to keep one’s brain active and deter senility. It will be a while before I get to fly solo and I am in no rush to do so. I am simply enjoying learning to fly. A fair amount of time is spent helping on the airfield with launching, logging flights, moving gliders on the ground or simply chilling out. Moreover, it is a pleasant outdoor environment that has enabled me to make a new set of friends in the Piako Gliding Club. n