Competitions

At Dunstable we have a wealth of experience in competition flying, either cross-country or aerobatics. We provide coaching from novice right up to the most advanced levels, and are proud to have produced several national champions and members of the British gliding team, representing our country at European and World championships.

We participate in the Inter-Club league, which is aimed at giving early cross-country pilots a taste of competition conditions, in a very supportive environment. Each of the clubs in the region host a weekend and there are teams in Novice, Intermediate and Pundit classes. We always try to allocate our Duo Discus, high performance 2 seat XC glider, to each weekend with an experienced pilot to help provide opportunities to those who are interested in cross country flying or simply want to fly from another airfield.

The highlight of our cross-country calendar is the BGA-rated Dunstable Regionals competition, in which up to 60 gliders participate, are split into classes based on the gliders performance.

We have also hosted National championships, typically for the BGA Club Class or Juniors. In the past we have also held the 18m Nationals as well as a European Championship.

Dunstable is also the home of the annual Dan Smith Trophy, a glider aerobatics competition at national standard, normally held in the spring.

As well as the formal events, we also have a number of other competitions for members, such as the Algek Cup (aerobatics), our Enterprise Week, and even the occasional spot-landing competition!