On 18 March 2025 an Arcus M self-launching motor glider, flown by Chris Gill, Manager and Chief Flying Instructor at Denbigh Gliding and Geoff Burtenshaw from the Southdown Gliding Club, made an epic journey flying across the four nations of Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England, in a flight lasting nearly nine hours, covering a distance of 382 miles and attaining a height gain to 19,000 ft over the Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park.
According to a statement from the British Gliding Association (BGA), the flight was the idea of Chris, already renowned for making long-distance flights exploring Wales, Northern England and Scotland, but this was his first attempt at gliding across the Irish Sea – and then coming back to the mainland.
The flight started at Lleweni Parc airfield near Mold at 08:45 on a clear morning with a moderate breeze from the southeast. The flight plan took them to the south where they contacted and climbed in mountain lee wave conditions in the valley running from Corwen to Barmouth, before then setting off to the north, where they climbed in the lee of the Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) range.
Once at 19,000 ft then set-off across the Irish Sea to make landfall at the Mourne Mountains in County Down before topping-up again in the predicted wave conditions. Gliding north to the west of Belfast and into County Antrim, Chris and Geoff found wave conditions across the Glens of the Antrim Coast, north of Larne. With sufficient height gained, they set off back across the Irish Sea, encountering further wave conditions mid-sea coming in the lee of the Isle of Man. Landfall was made to the west of Stranraer with a potential landing site at Castle Kennedy. Using the onboard engine, Chris and Geoff made two climbs to ensure that they could glide and land at Carlilse Airport, landing at 17:39.
After having completed their record flight, Chris and Geoff offered few acknowledgements to organisations and individuals without whom the flight would not have been possible: “The air traffic control personnel at the NATS Prestwick Centre for their assistance in the planning and clearances during the flight, the radar controllers at Belfast – Aldergrove Airport, Carlisle Airport for a warm welcome when we landed after-hours of their normal operation, our tug pilot Will for the initial launch and for our retrieve crew, Ian Molesworth who arrived at Carlisle Airport with the trailer just as we arrived in the overhead.”
As to what the next challenge will be, Chris said: “I knew that the wave conditions would be soft, but I am hoping for a better day to do something much bigger – watch this space!”
