The Club's History
OGC is one of the oldest clubs in the country, with the first meeting of its earliest elements in 1937. Follow the timeline below to learn a bit more about our historic club. Click on any of the photos to view them in a larger format.
December
1937
The "Oxford University and City Gliding Club" had its inaugural meeting at Christchurch college in Oxford on 2nd December 1937
Pre-War Period
Spring
1938
Flying begins at the Cumnor meadow site, which now lies at the bottom of the Farmoor reservoir. An access road, bridge over a ditch and basic hanger is built. Two "Dagling" primaries make up the fleet, one with a steamline nacelle and the other without.
June
1938
Robert Kronfeld (the first person to glide across the English channel (1931)) becomes the CFI and 'manager' of the club. He's seen in the photo on the left as the gentleman on the right, with Captain Rattray, who was the temporary CFI prior to Kronfeld's appointment.
Summer
1938
Club pilots and gliders take place in a public air show at RAF Upper Heyford. The photo is of the club's first secretary, Margaret "Peggy" Thring, flying at Dunstable, home of the London Gliding Club at about the same time.
13th May
1938
The Oxford Gliding Company ltd. forms, though club operations continue as the Oxford University and City Gliding Club.
Winter
1938
Club operations move to the Chiltern ridge at Aston Rowant (now where the M40 cuts through towards London) for the 1939 season. At the outbreak of WW2, all recreational flying ceased.
1951
The efforts of Lawrence Wingfield, Prof. George Varley, Marcus Goodall, Ray Stafford Allen and Mrs Margaret Kronfeld (Robert Kronfeld's widow) lead to the reformation of Oxford Gliding Club at Kidlington Airport (now London Oxford Airport).
1956
An increase in powered aircraft activity lead the club to move to its current home of RAF Weston-on-the-Green airfield. Click here to learn more about our airfield.
OGC at Weston
Post-War Period
Our first K13 (CCE, but initially known as "Elfin") is donated to the club by Professor Malcolm Laurie, and is still in use to this day at a different gliding club.
1967
1969
The second K13 (CGO, or "Redfin") is bought by a shares scheme set up by club members. Like the other K13, it is still in use today thanks to the efforts of our inspector team.
1986
The new hangar, clubroom and workshop facilities are opened by the club's president, Rt Hon Douglas Hurd MP
1988
The club's vintage glider, the T21 lovingly referred to as "Daisy" arrives at the club. Purchased by members and donated to the club, it was bought from the RAF in its original livery.
1977
The club's first glasfibre glider, the Astir "DMH" arrives at OGC, following a simular purchase scheme to CGO.
1993
The club's first glassfibre two seater aircraft, the Grob Acro "EZE" arrives at OGC.
2000
The DG505 "JSX" arrives at the club, replacing the Grob Acro. In the same year, Oxford Gliding Club hosts the Junior gliding nationals championship, where fifty young pilots from across the country competed in a gliding competition.
2012
Oxford Gliding Club celebrates its 75th anniversary.
February
2019
OGC adds a K21 to it's fleet to secure it's place in the future of gliding.