The UK Mountain Soaring Championship

The Deeside Gliding Club recently wrapped up the 29th UK Mountain Soaring Championship, running from September 6–12 at Aboyne Airfield. Nestled right on the edge of the Cairngorms, the club welcomed top glider pilots from across the country for a full week of wave soaring and high-speed mountain racing.

see you in 2027

RESULTS

 29th Annual UKMSC 

On behalf of everyone at Deeside Gliding Club, a huge thank you to all the pilots, crews, and supporters who joined us for the 29th Annual UK Mountain Soaring Championship.

Summary & Highlights

After weather forced the scrubbing of the final competition day on 12 September, the standings after Task 2 were declared final. John Tanner & Kentish (flying Duo Discus 3D for Deeside Gliding Club) took the overall title, sweeping both the Cross-Country and Height Gain trophies.

  • Days 1–3 (Sept 6–8): Early wave-soaring conditions permitted height gain attempts, but overcast skies and localised rain prevented full cross-country task setting.
  • Task 1 (Sept 9): A 2-hour Assigned Area Task (AAT) around Glen Dee, Clova, and Mossat.
    John Tanner & Kentish won the opening racing task with 800 points, followed closely by Adrian Docherty (760 pts) and Andy Hyslop (718 pts)
  • Task 2 (Sept 11): Secondary cross-country racing task across the Grampians.
    Roy Wilson delivered the fastest handicapped speed on the 288.9 km Assigned Area Task (AAT) at 86.60 km/h (236.7 km flown) to take the maximum 1,000 day points, while Adrian Docherty placed second (79.85 km/h) and John Tanner & Kentish finished third (77.66 km/h)

Full results can be found here: Soaring Spot

The Scottish weather tested everyone's patience and tactical flying across the week, but your skill, adaptability, and camaraderie—whether navigating tight Assigned Area Tasks across the Grampians or climbing into the wave above the Cairngorms—made it a fantastic week of mountain soaring. Congratulations to overall champion John Tanner, to all our daily podium finishers, and to every pilot who made the journey to Aboyne.

We look forward to welcoming you again next year!

Photos © 2026 Lesley Kentish