Gary Whitecross believes the best entry point to learning to fly is to glide.
He lives in Springs and is training full time at the Springs Airfield in conjunction with the East Rand Gliding Club.
Although he started gliding only a few years ago, he started flying in 1972 for the first time.
Due to financial constraints, and his father’s anti-flying attitude, he only qualified in 1981.
Since then he has also obtained his helicopter and micro light licences.
When he obtained his paraglider licence he competed in the masters section of the World XC Series in Spain in 2006 and was placed third.
Since he obtained his gliding licence in 2007 he believes it develops skills that no other form of aviation training can provide.
Currently he is the head of training for the Soaring Society of South Africa and the most qualified Grade A instructor.
Gary says he has been an instructor for 30 years.
“Obtaining a glider pilot licence is based on ability with a minimum of 35 hours flight time,” he says.
They use motor gliders to do the training as they have height limitations at the Springs Airfield due to OR Tambo International Airport being so close.
He was ranked 42nd in the World Championships 2014.
He has won both the Western Cape Regionals and Gauteng Regionals twice and took second and third place in the South African National Championships.
He claims these competitions are an endurance test both mentally and physically.
During these competition the committee usually predetermines distances from where competitors take off.
The distances can be 600km or more where the pilot needs to fly to and turn back to the take off point.
Gary says these are called turning points and the fastest competitor who returns first wins, bearing in mind there is no engine.
To fly a glider takes skill and understanding of how the air works.
“Gliders have the same instruments as normal planes plus an extra sensitive instrument called a variometer, which tells you whether you are rising in the air or not,” he says.
He received his Protea colours in November last year.
This is awarded to competitors who are chosen to compete for South Africa internationally.
“I am honoured as it has been a hard, long road to get here,” he says.
During a recent competition in Worcester he lost his concentration and had to land the glider on a tiny piece of ground on the side of a mountain.
It was a scary yet exciting experience as the glider started rolling back and the only thing that kept it from falling over a cliff was a farmer’s fence.
“I was stuck for two hours until the local police arrived to rescue me,” he says.
The Gauteng Regionals will take place in April and he is looking forward to defending his title.
