Since 1963, a history of passion, perseverance, and gliding.
Opening the hangars, taking out the equipment, bringing it to the runway, and flying it today is a routine. But for years it was not a routine; it was a dream.
Opening a hangar and bringing the planes to the runway... What hangar? What planes? What runway?
There were days when we had no hangar, no planes, no tow plane, no airfield—important things—and also less solemn things like tow cables, certified hooks, flight licenses, fire extinguishers, parachutes, aviation fuel... when we gathered to dream so far from reality that now, years later, it is hard to understand how it was possible to create a gliding club like ours.
Let's start from the beginning.
The year 1963, Àngel Anglada and Ignasi Amat went to the Lasbordes airfield in Toulouse to take a gliding course and obtain their pilot's license, simultaneously Antoni Freixas doing the same at the Monflorite Flight School.
The subsequent coincidence in Mont-Louis, where they occasionally went to watch the French fly, and where they might even fly at the last minute, strengthened the bonds and encouraged Anglada and Amat to propose the idea of starting a private gliding club near Barcelona.
Situation problematic for three reasons: en primer lugar porque sólo eran tres, en segundo lugar porque no tenían nada de lo necesario para volar, ni medios para obtenerlo, y en tercer lugar porque el Vuelo sin Motor era, y había sido siempre, propiedad estatal.
Since powered flight was possible, the three pioneers went to the Barcelona-Sabadell Aeroclub, which did not object to the formation of a Gliding section within the club.
At the Sabadell airfield and in meetings held at the Diagonal 417, comenzó a aglutinar, se el primer grupo formado por Anglada, Amat, Freixas y Echegaray.
In Sabadell, Freixas, while taking a powered flight course, met a "German guy named Wolfgang Knopf", who was doing the same and joined the conspiracies in Terrassa in "Ca l'Amat", where one day a teenager who was also interested in planes appeared, named Josep Lluís Borràs.
Since there were other aviators at the aeroclub, the existence of a nucleus interested in gliding spread, and a trio was formed by two young Alegret y Pedraza and a third who spoke of thermals with a religious air, Pablo Ayesta, who was then in the process of building a Bensen autogyro, and who brought to the group a notable aeromodeller named Pedemonte.
All those mentioned so far formed the first group, which only brought enthusiasm and devotion, because no one had anything else.
But one day in a fit of enthusiasm Anglada and Freixas bought a SPATZ, the EC-AYU, which was the first privately owned sailplane in the country, although obviously it was not very useful since there was no airfield, no tow plane, no cable, or anything else.
"Every Sunday they went to Sabadell, took it out of the hangar, assembled it, wiped it down, and put it back in."
Another day Wolfgang, in another fit of enthusiasm, he brought from Germany a historic two-seater, a Goevier from the year 1935, so now there were two sailplanes that could be dusted off.
Some time later, the news came that at there was a private airfield in Igualadawhich was small but had few planes. Fortunately, the owner of the facilities, the Carner couple, did not object to flying or organizing gliding activities, but the towing problem remained unresolved.
Shortly after going to Igualada, the definitive bold move which was like stepping into the lion's den, yet there was nothing to lose.
A request was made to the Ministry of Air, Gliding section, "if they would be so kind as to send us a tow plane and an instructor every weekend from Monflorite, to help organize a gliding section".
And against all expectations, they said yes.
Months later, on the day June 23, 1965Ángel Anglada towed by a Dornier Do-27 from Monfloritewas lifted towards Puig Aguilera, where he spent two hours "gliding".
It was officially inaugurated the gliding section of the Barcelona-Sabadell Aeroclub, in Igualada, on March 5, 1967.
In the first years the school did not formally exist, but there were some first practitioners with a vocation to teach anyone who joined the section. Although they were aware that these practices did not count towards obtaining the official license, which could only be achieved in a course and exam in Monflorite.
In 1974, with the incorporation of Antoni Agramont, giving a boost to the section and organizing the school. Agramont was succeeded by E. Wünderlich, Joan Pedemonte y Manel Gil.
After several experiences in state, European, and international championships, in 1981, the first Catalonia championships were organized, which continue to be held periodically.
The strong growth of the section allowed it to become independent and establish itself as the "Igualada-Òdena Gliding Club", an entity that endures to this day.
Since its inception, the "Igualada-Òdena Gliding Club" has developed most of its activities, training, outreach flights, member flights, at the aeródromo Igualada-Òdena - General Vives de Igualada, in the municipality of Òdena.
At the same time, they have organized summer outings, Easter week, and other significant dates, to various airfields in Catalonia and Spain, achieving significant milestones for the members: silver, gold, and diamond badges, FAI triangles, and, of course, some outlandings.
Over 60 years of history back us up. Join us and be part of the next generation of gliding pilots.