I just received my Sailplane Pilot Licence — and it has since been confirmed by the British Gliding Association that I am currently the youngest person in the UK to hold a pilot’s licence. I’m 16, and I haven’t sat my GCSEs yet.
I joined Cambridge Gliding Club in August 2023 with no prior flying experience. I didn’t really know what to expect — I just knew I wanted to fly.
What is the SPL?
The Sailplane Pilot Licence is a full, internationally recognised pilot’s licence issued by the CAA. Getting there requires completing a structured training syllabus, building the required solo and dual flight experience, completing a cross-country navigation flight, and passing a final skills test with a CAA Flight Examiner.
The SPL is also the minimum age-16 licence available in the UK, which is why holding one at 16 means holding the youngest pilot’s licence it’s possible to have in this country.
The Journey
I went solo for the first time in September 2024 — almost exactly a year after my first ever flight. That day is one I won’t forget. Up to that point, every flight had an instructor in the back seat. Suddenly, it was just me.
From there, the focus shifted to building experience and working towards the full licence. More solo hours, soaring experience, and eventually the skills test itself. I passed in March 2026.
The People Behind It
None of this happened in isolation. The instructors and duty pilots at Cambridge Gliding Club gave up their time week after week to help me improve — often on cold mornings when the flying was uncertain and the tea was the main incentive. I owe a lot to this club and the people in it.
I was also fortunate enough to be awarded scholarships from both the Air League and the Royal Aero Club Trust, which funded a significant portion of my training. Winning those was an achievement in itself, and without them the journey would have looked very different.
What’s Next
The SPL is a beginning, not an end. I’m now focused on building cross-country experience and working towards my FAI Silver Badge. Powered aircraft is on the horizon too — but gliding will always be where it started.
If you’re a young person thinking about getting into aviation, or a parent wondering whether it’s realistic — I’d say this: it is. Come to the club. Talk to the instructors. The pathway exists, and it’s more achievable than it looks from the outside.
I’m glad I showed up that first morning in September 2023. It turned out to be a pretty good decision.
