Oxford University Gliding Club is proud to own and operate a 2-seater training glider ASK-21. Gliding is a very environmentally friendly form of aviation - our planes have no engines and use natrual rising air currents to fly for many hundreds of kilometers. Many famous airline captains (including Capt Sully Sullenberger) started their career as glider pilots!

The challenge we are facing now is that a major mid-life maintenance items is due. Your assistance would go a long way to making sure that the club can provide students with flying experience at an affordable rate for decades to come.

In its service, a training glider undergoes many stress cycles from simulated launch failures and hard landings. The surface layer has now developed many systematic, parallel cracks. While this may appear cosmetic, it allows undetectable water damage of internal structure to occur, and inspectors will refuse to certify the glider’s airworthiness after some point. Sanding off all the surface is the only way to inspect the fibreglass underneath, and is a routine mid-life item for gliders.

In order to send it for this repair, we also need a new trailer in which to transport it. Our old metal tube trailer has succumbed to the weather and suffered irrepairable rust damage. We hope to buy a new, top-of-the-line Cobra trailer made of fibreglass and alumnium which would last many decades due to the nature of its construction.

Overall, for the surface refinishing, 9,000 hours inspection, and new trailer, we are looking to raise £60,000. Thanks to the stewardship of past committees, OUGC has some reserves and is financially stable. If we can get past this hurdle, then our assets will gain an additional 20-30 years of flying life. We are deeply grateful for anyone who can assist us in reaching our goals.

More information at https://ougc.org/support_us/.

Non-US Taxpayers: please donate via Oxford University Sport. If you are a UK or Canadian taxpayer you will be able to receive Gift Aid.

US Taxpayers: Please donate via Americans for Oxford and please write “#C2542 OU Gliding Club” in the Further Information box.

The above are the most direct ways to donate to us (without any fees). Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like to discuss more details. Thank you very much!