Women and girls took to the skies at a gliding club just outside Tavistock recently.

Over the weekend of June 8 and 9 Dartmoor Gliding Society near Brentor held a special event for women and girls interested in learning about gliding.

It was all part of a national initiative of the British Gliding Association to promote the sport to women and girls.

The day was originally scheduled for May but was postponed due to the weather.

On the new June dates, the gliding club flew over 40 women and girls, ranging in age from 13 to 82, in two-seat training gliders and showed them how gliders are launched and flown.  

Heather Mules who attended said it was “just wonderful”. “Keep doing days like this – you are all great!” she added.

Erica Sherratt, another attendee, and gave the club ten out of ten, saying: “Everyone was extremely Informative, amazing, you need to experience it.”

The sport of gliding is open to all but only three per cent of pilots in the UK are female. The British Gliding Association is keen to increase the number of female pilots and the Dartmoor Gliding Club, which has three female members, is very keen to bring in more women and girls into the sport. 

Many of the women were surprised at how cheap flying in gliders actually is. Dartmoor Gliding club specialises in affordable flying.

Abbie Hodgskins, who also took part, said: “Everyone was lovely! Everyone was extremely knowledgeable. Would definitely come back again.”

The club was surprised at how many local attendees didn’t know the club existed until it appeared in the Tavistock Times and on BBC Spotlight .

Club secretary Steve Fletcher said: “We have been here over 40 years so I was surprised how many of the attendees didn't know we existed, the event was a great success and the club hopes many of the ladies will take up the sport whether it be at Dartmoor or any of other of the clubs in the country.”

He added: “Ladies make very good pilots but they see it as a man thing which it most certainly is not!”