Gliding Scholarship (GS)

A Gliding Scholarship course is an opportunity for cadets to undergo further gliding training and achieve Gliding Scholarship Wings. The course consists of around 8 hours of flying in the aircraft. Cadets showing the necessary aptitude are invited to progress onto the 'solo' standard and achieve the GS Solo Wings.  

To undertake a GS course you should have ideally completed the GIC syllabus, although this is not essential. Nominations for GS courses should be made through your squadron/contingent commanding officer and trainees must be at least 16 years of age before commencing a course and have completed a basic medical examination detailed on RAF Form 6424 with your local doctor.

Once a medical examination is completed and cleared by your doctor your name will be forwarded to the Wing Gliding Liaison Officer and when a course becomes available for you, you will be informed via your squadron.

There are two formats of GS courses, either successive weekends whereby you attend the VGS each Saturday and Sunday until a course is completed (this normally takes 4-6 weekends) or alternatively there are sometimes Continuous courses available which last for a week for example (Monday to Friday) each day, although these courses are not as common.

Obviously the time taken to complete a GS course will depend on a number of factors. The trainees ability, attendance, motivation and of course the weather.

Once a course has been successfully completed a trainee will be awarded either Blue wings for successful completion of the course and a mark of 20-25 in the end of course multiple choice examination or Silver wings if the cadet achieves a Solo flight and 25-30 in the examination.