Group at Rattlesden Airfield Go Gliding event near Stowmarket, spot Orwell Bridge and Felixstowe docks from the sky

A group of women and girls gave gliding a go 2000 ft above Rattlesden Airfield near Stowmarket as part of an event to encourage more females into the sport.

Sarah Lee and Colin Martin-Pitt, from Rattlesden Gliding Club, carried out a demonstration for the group before they were allowed to take control themselves, gaining height in the thermals produced by the rising air currents.

Speaking after the Go Gliding event on Sunday, Sarah said: “The visibility was excellent and we were able to see the cranes at the docks at Felixstowe, the Orwell Bridge and Sizewell Power Station further up the coast.

“It was an ideal opportunity for the ladies to experience gliding and what Rattlesden Gliding Club can offer if they choose to take up the sport.

“Having highlighted at the briefing that gliding is very much a community and a hands-on sport, they all mucked in and helped to manoeuvre the gliders before and after the launches and to connect the gliders to the rope for the launch.”

Sarah said: “The grins on the faces of the ladies at the end of the day said it all, as did the animated and enthusiastic conversation about their experiences.”

Some of the group have vowed to take to the sky again, including an 11-year-old girl who is planning a career in aviation.

Sarah said: “I understand from her mother that she was still talking about it the following morning and couldn’t wait to get to school to tell her teachers and her friends.”

She said the event was the opportunity to showcase the sport and that the gliding opportunity is open to all, as well as a stepping stone for junior pilots.

More information about Rattlesden Gliding Club can be found on its website.