Seven years after the end of the second World War, an unlikely pairing led to the formation of the Dublin Gliding Club. In 1952, former Luftwaffe pilot Freddie Heinzel, previously interned in the Curragh, and ex-RAF serviceman Ken Mellor combined to set up the club at Weston airport.

Today, the Dublin Gliding Club is one of three in Ireland (along with the Ulster and Clonmel Gliding Clubs) and is now based at the Gowran Grange airfield off the Naas-Ballymore Eustace road. The club is a small affair, operating on a non-profit-making basis, thus enabling both regulars and newcomers to fly at a reasonable cost.

An introductory flight costs £45 and includes a month's membership. Yearly subscription is £272, plus additional launch fees of £10 for each flight.

Finally, for those wondering about the safety aspect, there have been no serious accidents in their 49 years of gliding.