AFTER a full day's flying, Dartmoor Gliding Society held its annual meeting in the clubhouse at Brentor airfield.

Chairman Steve Lewis said he was pleased with developments over the past year. The biggest factor was being accredited as an official junior gliding centre by the British Gliding Association. That had led to a successful association with students at Kelly College, who now fly regularly at Brentor.

Bob Jones, secretary, told members that being a junior gliding centre had opened up new funding opportunities and a grant of £10,000 had been received from Sport England. That would be used to train more club pilots as flying instructors and provide additional safety equipment.

Chief flying instructor Don Puttock said there had been 3,000 flights from Brentor in 2010, an increase of 600 on the previous year.

Eleven members had achieved first solo and so far there had been another four in 2011. The youngest, Matthew Wiles, went solo on his sixteenth birthday — the earliest allowed.

Steve Lewis closed the meeting by congratulating all concerned, saying the aim this year should be to provide more trial lessons, train more pilots to solo and encourage more cross country soaring flights.

Picture by James Bird