Home » Visitors » Cyclists, Horse Riders & Walkers

Unlike the rest of the Long Mynd, the ground occupied

by the Midland Gliding Club is private.  There is NO RIGHT TO ROAM.

Motor vehicles are not allowed except for visiting the club, when they must stay on the access road, or for club vehicles operating on the airfield.  However, we welcome walkers and cyclists who we encourage to make full use of our permissive routes which give much improved views over the Welsh Marches to the west.

There is a  public footpath and a bridleway that cross the active airfield at the south end of the site. We do not recommend using them as there are permissive ways slightly further to the south and west of the airfield that avoid crossing the active runways and launch area.

We ask all users to be aware that there may be gliders taking off or landing at any time. Also, we launch gliders by winch so there is a fast-moving cable between the main winch and the retrieve winch which often crosses the public footpaths.  If we see anyone on these public ways we have to stop launching but you can help us avoid delays by using the paths to the south behind the winch and to the west.

Sometimes, when the wind is from the West, we launch towards the West from the north end so there will be a cable crossing the main entrance road, just before you get to the hangar area. We always check that the road is clear before a launch but you should not walk or drive along the road if the yellow light on the winch is flashing.

We always keep a good lookout for walkers, horse riders and cyclists when the airfield is active. We have established alternative routes around the edges of the airfield which keep people and horses away from the active areas and provide better views over the land to the west. These are clearly marked on sign posts and we ask that visitors use these routes by preference, especially if wishing to access the wooded areas on the east side. We always stop launching until visitors are clear of the critical areas even though this affects our revenue.

If it is necessary to cross the runways at the south end of the airfield we ask that you do so as quickly as possible. Please do not stop to watch the gliders launch unless you are west of the stone path that runs up the hill to the south end. Do not pick up a cable laying on the ground as it may move suddenly.

The stone path is for airfield vehicles only.  No access is allowed for cyclists, horse riders or walkers.

We publish a brochure that illustrates the permissive routes. These are usually available from the main entrances to the site but if you would like a copy, you can download one here.

Incident Reporting

We encourage anyone using our site to report incidents from which we can learn.  Incident reporting is a critical part of the Club’s safety culture.  It is one of the ways we can identify the causes of incidents and accidents and find ways of reducing the the probability of them happening again in the future.  It is a way we become safer.  The more reports the better.  No one will every be penalised for submitting an incident report.  If you choose, you can submit this form anonymously.

All reporting is automatically sent to the CFI and Safety Officer.

You can download the reporting form here.

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