In this job you get the chance to do a lot of different things and I was reminded recently of this assignment when I was in Scunthorpe when a friend had a similar experience.

At the time a local gliding club was looking for new members as I recall and I was invited along to have a go.

Believe it or not they let me take control – well probably for about 30 seconds in total – but it was a fun experience.

As adrenaline rushes go, it doesn’t get much better than this – being whisked from the comfort of a field in the middle of nowhere to high into the air within a matter of seconds which offers a sensation you won’t forget.

And then the hunt is on for that most precious of weather elements – the elusive thermal. Welcome to gliding, as seen through the eyes of Telegraph reporter lan Duncan.

I FIND myself being strapped into a parachute wondering what have I let myself in for.

The thought occurs to me – if I do need to use it I have never had any training in making a parachute jump before I am reassured: “Just pull the yellow tag.”

I am spending an afternoon with the Trent Valley Gliding Club. which is based at the airfield, just south of Kirton Lindsey.

We are having an aerotow launch and are towed behind the tug – Piper Pawnee D, a former crop sprayer, which has a 250hp six cylinder engine.

I find it noisier than expected due to the wind noise from the prop wash. We climb steadily to 2000ft and release the tow rope.

I am flying with pilot Ted Crooks an authorised flying instructor and club chairman.

Once free it is unbelievably calm – what glider pilots call “whispering wings”. The conditions are perfect with a nice mix of white and blue in the sky.

We circle in the skies above North Lincolnshire and Ted points out that Scunthorpe is in the distance in the ‘murk’. It is shrouded in the spring haze.

Ted says: “Take the stick ” And I find myself in control.

A light nudge forward and the ground races towards us. We are gathering speed, I ease the stick back and we level off safely.

We land with a bump in the roughest part of the airfield, the marked contrast between the smooth flight and the bumpy landing.

The flight is over all too soon after about 20 minutes and I cannot wait for the next one.

Club press officer, John Wigmore, said: “This is seen as an elitist or an old man’s sport.

“The club’s policy is to take a positive attitude towards the disabled. We have one member who is blind.”

Alan Jackson (74) has been blind since he was eight. He said: “I’ve been interested tor years. I had one flight and that hooked me. I’ve had three flights altogether.”

“Because I can’t see at all, I was following everything with the stick in the stick and the rudder pedals. On the last flight I went up with Ted who was showing me the turns but I could tell better by the noise.

“I was pretty accurate when Ted gave me the figures. I could tell when we banked and got a bit of speed up.”

He added that take-off was a different kettle of fish. but when he was in the air he was the same as anybody else and he hoped more disabled people would be encouraged to have a go.

John Wigmore explained the club had three objectives. They were to:

• Promote the sport of glider flying;
• Provide facilitles tor members to fly;
• Train new pilots.

Membership is open to anyone who is interested in the sport and the minimum age tor a solo flight is 16. Those who are Interested can start training below this age with an authorised flying instructor.

The sport of gliding can trace its origins to pre-war Germany. They could not have motorised aircraft, so German engineers developed engine-less aircraft which could be winch launched.

In 1937 the RAF were based at the Kirton airfield, Where Hurricanes and Spitfires provided fighter support for bomber raids into Germany.

Trent Valley Gliding Club was formed in 1966 and moved to Kirton Lindsey in 1972.

Once again it is holding an open day at the airfield on Bank Holiday Monday. Mr Wigmore said: “The purpose of the open day Is to give anyone the chance to come along and have a go with a flying instructor to see if they like it.”

Launch controller and solo pilot Julie Thacker said: “We are doing quite well for youngsters at the moment.

“On the open day we’lI set up at 8.30am, and normally people will turn up from 9am. There’s normally a wilting list. When your name comes un you fly.”

From the Scunthorpe Telegraph on Thursday, May 1, 2003.