Where to fly after you qualify

[John Wallis]

Just a though it might be worth listing some of your favorite flying sites for some of the new pilots in the club.

Once you've done your training and you want to break the apron strings where do you go that will improve your flying safely?

Trying to think of a staircase approach which will improve your flying step by step here's a few sites worth a visit. But there's no substitute for pairing up with other club pilots to give advice and keep you safe.

East Hill in the Cheviots is always a favorite and many pilots have their first high top to bottom from here great for reasonably smooth conditions and big bottom landing.

Money Laws not a high site but can give some excellent soaring with plenty bottom landings.

A bit bigger the Yeavering Bell 1000 foot top to bottom with lots of landing space.

Venturing out of Northumberland and feeling less familiar you could head for Tail Bridge (Mallastang) Above Kirkby Stephens. A long westerly ridge great for training and massive bottom landing field.

Cross Fell although classed as a mountain site in light winds and gentle conditions can give fantastic flying where you have a chance of getting really high for the first time. Don't worry too much about getting high as height is safety. There is lots of room to top land in the right conditions and massive amounts of room to bottom land.

Going further south to North Yorkshire you have the Model Ridge. A fantastic northerly with a big top landing area and designated landing fields at the bottom.

These are just a few starters, there's loads more but these are probably the classics which will help you make the next step in your flying career.

Hope this has been useful and please post your thoughts if you can think of some better sites

JW