All About Us
The Cairngorm Gliding Club has been operating from Feshie Airstrip for over
forty years. It is situated in an area of oustanding natural beauty on the
edge of the Cairngorm Mountains and the Spey Valley.
Feshie is an ideal location for ridge, wave and thermal cross country flying. Glider pilots from all over Britain visit Feshie to take advantage of the suberb conditions.
We aerotow using our Robin DR400, launching gliders straight into the best
soaring areas.
Our avarage flight times are among the best, if not the best in the country.
What makes Feshie special?
When you look out of a glider window 4,000 feet above the Cairngorm Mountains you will be able to see the answer to this question. We soar over some of the most breathtaking scenery in the UK. The airstrip is situated beside a two mile long west facing ridge, with a south facing 'bowl' behind it leading straight into the heart of the Cairngorm Mountains.
We fly over the spectacular Insh Marshes (an RSPB bird reserve) and the tranquil Loch Insh. The Spey Valley is just to the west of the club airfield and on a clear day you can see as far as the Moray Firth to the north and Ben Nevis in the west. Soaring eagles, buzzards and ospreys give us a clear indication of rising air.
Feshie is one of the UK's top 'mountain wave' sites. Wave is a smooth area of rising air downwind of a mountain range. It is often marked by high-altitude lenticular shaped clouds and a glider can climb in the incredibly smooth air of the wave to well over twenty thousand feet above the site. Many visitors from further south visit Feshie for these spectacular flying conditions.
When do we operate?
Feshie operates all year round, mainly at weekends.
Mayfest
Normally held during the first 2 weeks of May we run a full time operation
for local and visiting pilots.
Please note that booking is essential over Mayfest (no
booking fee)
Octoberfest
Normally held at the end of September through to first week of October.
This is a full time operation for pilots to take advantage of the wave conditions
prevalent at that time of year.
Again booking is essential over Octoberfest (no booking
fee)
We have a fully equipped clubhouse with cooking, toilet and shower facilities. Often we have dinner together in the clubhouse on a Saturday evening and discuss the days activities. You may camp on site for free.
Please note that we are strictly limited to only three caravans on site at any one time, so spaces must be booked through the secretary. There are excellent hotels, B&B's and hostels near the site and we can provide details on request.
About our Committee
The Chairman and Tugmaster is Nick Norman. Nick has all Three Diamond Badges (500km gained on 7th May 2001) and is also a training captain for Bristows helicopters. He is in charge of the flying accounts and shares a Ventus B with Mike Morrison.
The Chief Flying Instructor is Alister Morrison. Alister has a Gold C Badge, and has been flying and instructing at Feshie for many years and harbours a wealth of experience regarding the local conditions found here in the mountains.
The Secretary is Chris Fiorentini. Chris has all Three Diamond Badges. He has flown extensively in the UK, USA, and Australia for over 35 years, has over 40 types of gliders in his logbook, and 30 plus 300ks under his belt, but is now usually found flying the tug.
The Technical Officer is Ian Carruthers.
Our Safety Officer is Mike Morrison. Mike flies an Ventus and has a Gold C badge. Mike is an electronics wizard and spends his spare time fixing club radios.
The Treasurer is Maggie Lambert. Maggie mainly flies with EasyJet, KLM and BA, who have all been known to make her sick. But she is the world's best retrieve crew, particularly if given lots of lager and red wine. In between rigging/de-rigging and retrieves, she keeps a tight reign on the club's finances. She is an excellent cook.
The Hangar Manager is Anne Mawdsley.
Our Team of Instructors
We have a very experienced team of highly qualified instructors with a wealth of experience.
Full Category Instructors
| Alister Morrison Chief Flying Instructor Gold C |
Bill Longstaff Gold + 2 Diamonds PPL |
Nick Norman Commercial Helicopter Pilot PPL All Three Diamonds |
Assistant Category Instructors
| Mike Morrison Gold C |
Bob Forrest Gold C One Diamond PPL |
David Weeks Gold + 1 Diamond |
Ray Hill Gold C One Diamond |
Basic Category Instructors
|
Chris Fiorentini PPL All Three Diamonds |
Tow Plane Pilots
| Nick Norman Tug Master |
Chris Fiorentini | Bob Forrest |
| Roger Greig | Ian Curruthers | Bernhard van Woerden |
Club Facilities
Puchacz 2-seater glider
Grob Twin Acro II 2-seater glider
Grob 102 Astir
Robin DR400 Tow Plane
Main Hangar with Club House
3 T-Hangers
Blister Hangar
Workshop
Winch