Gliding

© Jennifer SternThe gliding in South and southern Africa is fabulous. In the inland areas in summer, immense thermals build up enabling glider pilots to do long cross-country flights, while the more mountainous coastal regions offer fantastic ridge soaring and wave. If you have no idea what that means, but are still keen on the idea of gliding, you should contact one of the local clubs or gliding centres for an introductory lesson – and you can move on from there. If you learn to glide, you can use some of your hours towards a PPL for a conventional light plane.

Despite not having engines, gliders are sophisticated craft. The newer ones are built from light, high tech, space-age materials such as aluminium, Kevlar and carbon fibre, while some of the older – still very serviceable – ones are made from wood and fabric. They are beautifully proportioned, a bit like an albatross, with long thin wings and a streamlined body.

Many northern hemisphere pilots come to South Africa or Namibia for the austral summer to attempt to break records – sometimes just their own personal ones – in the hot, flat interior.