Cornwall residents, and bird watchers around the country, were stunned by the breaking news in 2019 that a black-browed albatross had been spotted off the end of the Lizard Peninsula, the southernmost point of the county. Albatrosses are the biggest flying birds in the world, with huge wings that carry them through the skies off the coast for years at a time. Interestingly, they don’t flap their wings like smaller birds, instead they hold them outstretched and rigid to glide gracefully over the ocean. But although albatrosses are native to the southern hemisphere and very rarely drift as far North as the British Isles, it is possible to observe unpowered, gliding flight in Cornwall. Gliders, or sail planes, use the same principles of lift and aerodynamics that nature has perfected in the albatross, and what’s more, you can experience the sensation of soaring too.

Gliding has become a popular sport among those who want to fly like a bird without the noise of an engine. They’re specially designed craft with long wings like the albatross and super lightweight structures. There are different ways of launching them, but once in the sky, the pilot can exploit air currents and winds to stay airborne for hours at a time and travel long distances. Another advantage of these craft is that their structure allows for a large “bubble canopy” which means that you can get 360 degree views from the cabin. To soar like a bird and get an bird' eye view of this region, you have to organise a gliding experience.

Where are the best places to go gliding in Cornwall?

There are two airfields where you can experience a trial flight. Each uses a different launch technique, read on to find out more.

• Padstow: on the beautiful North coast, where rocky cliffs tumble down to pristine beaches, you’ll find St Merryn airfield. The gliders that operate here are motor gliders, which means that they are fitted with an engine and a propeller which are mainly used during take off. Once in the air, the engine can be turned off and the wings come into their own, using the air and winds to create lift and carrying the glider high into the sky. And from this vantage point, the county's landscape reveals itself to you in all its glory. Padstow sits on the River Camel estuary, a sunken valley which ends in rocky headlands that jut out into the sea. Up the coast in one direction is the ruin of Tintagel Castle, strongly associated with the legends of King Arthur, while in the other direction you can see the sandy expanses of Newquay’s famous surfing beaches. The cockpit of a motor glider has side-by-side seating, so your pilot can make sure that you’re seeing the best of what this part of the world has to offer.

• Helston: just like the black-browed albatross, you can fly around the Lizard Peninsula, the most southerly point of the British mainland. The rugged coastline around the peninsula earned it the nickname “The Graveyard of Ships,” but what was a nightmare for sailors is a dream come true for gliders. Cliffs, headlands, coves, Land’s End a short distance to the West and, of course, seabirds - the views are breathtaking. The Royal Navy Air Station at Helston has a gliding club which occasionally invites first time gliders to experience unpowered flight with them. The auto-tow method is used here, in which a car pulls the glider down a 1.5 kilometre runway to generate enough lift for the glider to take off. These are true unpowered aircraft with no engines, propellers, exhaust fumes or anything else that can distract you from experiencing the sensation of soaring into the skies on the sea breeze. Unpowered gliders usually have tandem seating, with the pilot sitting behind the passenger (you!), so the unbroken visibility is second to none.

How long does this experience last?

If you know what you’re doing, it’s possible to exploit thermal updrafts, air currents and wind to sustain flight for a very long time. Albatrosses certainly know what they’re doing and they can glide above the southern oceans for hundreds of miles between flaps. Gliders can’t flap their wings, but professional pilots can stay airborne for hours and complete cross country flights. A trial flight experience won’t be so long, but it’s enough to enjoy the incomparable, and possibly life-changing experience of flying like a bird in total peace and tranquillity. You’ll also get a completely new perspective on the Cornish landscape, with views that stretch from the South coast on one side to the North coast on the other. Experiences include either 30 minutes, 45 minutes or a full hour of flight time, but of course you’ll spend more time on the airfield before and after the flight, so put aside at least 2 hours for a trial flight.

Requirements to do this activity

In a trial flight in a glider in Cornwall, you’ll ride as a passenger, This means that you don’t need any kind of licence of certification, or experience of similar activities - you don’t even need to have been in an aircraft before! Gliding is judged to be very safe. There’s no risk of engine failure, which is one of the main reasons that aeroplanes experience in-flight problems, and they have a crash resistant cockpit unlike other unpowered aircraft like paragliders or hang gliders. This means that children as young as 10 years old can enjoy this breathtaking experience. If your son or daughter is obsessed with flying, give them a treat that they’ll be ever grateful for.

There are some restrictions in place, the first is on passenger weight, which is an important factor when planning any kind of experience. You need to weigh less than 16.5 stone or 105 kilograms for the flight to be viable, and that includes the clothes that you’re wearing. In addition, there’s a maximum height of 6ft 8, or 2.05 metres, but this is for your comfort as there’s limited space inside the cockpit. If you meet these requirements, you’re ready to glide into the sky above the county and make your dreams come true.

What are you waiting for? Make a reservation today, and we’ll take care of the rest!