The Drakensberg Soaring Club is fortunate to have two lovely 2 seater gliders. The gliders are available for use by all club members for training and check flights. The primary trainer is the venerable Schleicher ASK-13. This wood, metal and fabric glider was first built in 1966 and has since been a preferred choice for ab-initio training in hundreds of gliding clubs the world over. The stall and spin characteristics of this glider as well as the simple, strong construction allow it to handle all aspects of training, including the odd hard landing.

General characteristics*

• Crew: Two
• Length: 8.18 m (26 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 16.00 m (52 ft 6 in)
• Height: 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in)
• Wing area: 17.5 m² (188 ft²)
• Aspect ratio: 14.6
• Wing profile: Göttingen 535/549
• Empty weight: 290 kg (640 lb)
• Gross weight: 480 kg (1,060 lb)

Performance*

• Maximum speed: 200 km/h (125 mph)
• Maximum glide ratio: 28
• Rate of sink: 0.81 m/s (160 ft/min)

*These are generally quoted figures, actual figures may vary

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The club also owns a Grob G103 Twin Astir. "The Twin" as it is referred to in the club is used for more advanced training, passenger rides and cross-country flying. This variant of the twin has a fixed undercarriage.

General characteristics*

• Crew: Two
• Length: 8.1 m (26 ft 7 in)
• Wingspan: 17.5 m (57 ft 5 in)
• Height: 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
• Wing area: 17.9 m² (193 ft²)
• Aspect ratio: 17.1
• Empty weight: 390 kg (860 lb)
• Gross weight: 620 kg (1,370 lb)

Performance*

• Maximum speed: 250 km/h (160 mph)
• Maximum glide ratio: 38
• Rate of sink: 0.6 m/s (120 ft/min)

*These are generally quoted figures, actual figures may vary