Booker Gliding Centre is Britain's premier soaring site. Whether you are a seasoned pundit or just fancy a trial lesson, we can offer you exactly what you want. Employing top professional instructors, we have an excellent fleet of gliders and tow planes maintained by professional engineers. All this combined with a seven-days-a-week operation to make us the UK's premier gliding centre.

Situated between London and Oxford and convenient to the M40 (Junction4), we offer flying amid outstanding countryside.   Booker is easily accessible from the surrounding area and is easy to reached by road via the M40 from Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, West London and the Midlands.  Travelling via the M4/A404 provides easy access from Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire, South London and Wiltshire.  High Wycombe railway station provides good access from Central London (Marylebone)  and has a bus link (or a taxi journey of around ten minutes).  Alternatively, trains are available from London Paddington to Maidenhead (taxi journey of around 20 minutes).

You can telephone the gliding centre if you need any further information on (01494) 529263 / 442501.

Wycombe Air Park is one of the busiest airfields in the country. As well as the gliding club there is a helicopter school, two flying schools and many vintage aircraft such as the Spitfire, which fly from the AirPark.   Originally known as Marlow Airport, the Air Ministry requisitioned it and in 1941 opened it as RAF Booker. Since 1941, it was home to No 21 Elementary Flying Training school. After the war it was developed as a civilian airfield, using its current name, Wycombe Air Park. The airfield is situated in the Chiltern Hills, about half way between London and Oxford.

Food and drink are available on the airfield at "The Pad" and you can relax after a hard-days flying and have a beer while watching the late finishers zoom across the airfield from the upstairs balcony.  Further details can be obtained from "The Pad" on 01494 525188.

The airfield has been the backdrop to many films, television programmes and advertisements. In 1965 the airfield was used for the making of Those Magnificent Men in the Their Flying Machines and Aces High was made here in 1975. The surrounding area is good for exploring. There are many excellent pubs and restaurants, shops, entertainments and countryside areas.

Details about the full range of gliding facilities that we provide can be found via the links at the top of the page.  If you'd like to find out more, then please contact us.

If you're interested in buying a trial flight or a course for yourself or as a gift, then check out the offers and visit our ON-LINE SHOP

The Club House

Click on the picture for a slideshow within the Clubhouse,

then hit the 'Back' button to return here

(Pictures by Brenda Harvey)

Directions

Wycombe Air Park is conveniently located for access by public transport (train and bus), car and air.  It is approximately two miles south-west of High Wycombe.

By Road:

From the M40 Junction 4, take the A4010 (Aylesbury Road) turn.  Go to the third roundabout and turn left (signposted Lane End).  One mile on, the airfield is on the right (signposted Wycombe Air Park).  There is a main car park about 50m on the right.

By Rail:

High Wycombe is served by Chiltern Railways. A regular service operates from London (Marylebone) and Birmingham.  The rail journey from London takes around 30 - 40 minutes.  From High Wycombe a taxi journey takes around ten minutes.  Alternatively, bus service 315 operates from the town centre and takes around 20 minutes to the Air Park.

By Air:

There is a tarmac runway and a grass runway for powered aircraft on R/W 24/06. R/W 17/ 35 is a grass runway. Gliders operate on their own grass areas, which are parallel to the 'power' runways. Circuits are in opposite directions with glider circuits to the South when R/W 24/ 06 is in use and to the West when R/W 17/ 35 is in use. If you are thinking of arriving by aircraft you must get a briefing from ATC. There are strict noise abatement areas and non-standard circuits in operation, and radio is mandatory. The tower can be contacted on 01494 529261. GPS co-ordinates are: N51°36.693' W000°48.510' BGA Turning point BOO. Contact Wycombe Tower on 126.55, Wycombe Ground on 121.775.

MAP

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