Sailplane Cloud Flying Rating

Welcome to the Sailplane Cloud Flying Rating Course. The course will teach you the basics of Cloud Flying in a glider. Up to the end of 2021, we will do the BGA Cloud Flying Endorsement, which you can convert into a SFCL Cloud Flying Rating when you get your SPL, or add to an existing SPL. After that, we will teach the SFCL course directly, which is exactly the same syllabus, but which requires at least one hour of flying to be carried out in a glider rather than a motorglider.

It is worth emphasising that we're teaching you enough here so that you can go and develop your skills on your own.

Typically the course takes 2-3 hours flying in the MotorGlider, but can take longer. It is best to do the whole thing in a fairly concentrated set of flights.


At Cambridge GC, either Paul Ruskin or Rob Bryce Smith can currently teach the course. It doesn't require an examination at the end, rather an instructor sign-off.


There are three parts to the theoretical knowledge package which you need to work through prior to doing the flying.

Part 1: Introduction and regulatory

Video below, slides here

Part 2: Theoretical training

Video below, slides here

Part 3: flying training

Video below, slides here