LSC Kranich Berlin e.V. – „Wenn du das Fliegen einmal erlebt hast, wirst du für immer auf Erden wandeln, mit deinen Augen himmelwärts gerichtet. Denn dort bist du gewesen und dort wird es dich immer wieder hinziehen.” (Leonardo da Vinci)

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“For sheer joy towards the sun”

Dear prospective members, Dear pilots

on these pages, we, the members of the soaring club Luftsportclub Kranich Berlin e.V., would like to introduce you to our activities . Hopefully, we will also inspire you to partake in our nature-loving and eco-friendly sport. Gliding can be learned and practiced at our glider airfield in Neuruppin North of Berlin.

Flight operations typically take place on weekends between April and October, making for an approximate 70 days of glider flying each season. In addition, several practical training courses are being held during weekdays (mostly during the Berlin school holidays) throughout the year.

Whenever we fly, operations commence at 10AM with a “weather briefing”. Thereafter we prepare up the airfield for the first launch, parking our winch at one end of the field and the planes and control “tower” bus at the other. Usually the first take-off is around 11AM.

In order to impart perfect flying skills to our future pilots, volunteer flight instructors provide them with solid practical training during summer months and theoretical lessons in winter. For licensed pilots, further training opportunities are provided.

Notice! Due to regulatory reasons we are constrained to instruct in german language as the tests and the final documents are german. Although all our instructors are quit fluent in english, we highly recommend learning deutsch until the tests are to be done.

What we do

Soaring amongst friends! “Out of pure joy towards the sun!” is one of our mottos. This means: we fly, fly, fly. To this end, our club provides to its members:

Planes
Infrastructure (winch, recovery vehicles, accommodation, parking space, a workshop and a well-tended, mowed and, above all, large airfield)
Education
Reliable flight operations at least every weekend thanks to voluntary member activities (winch driver, flight instructor)
Maintenance work

Because everyone is committed, the LSC can make this relatively complex sport possible at more than acceptable prices. Here is a small video impression of a landing approach on the runway 28:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkj6VUE20MQ

Visits & Guest Flights

We are not an elite! Anybody reasonably healthy can take a look at our flight operations at any time and join in on a trial basis. We are happy to fly guests in one of or two-seater planes. In this case we ask for small contribution towards to the costs — comparable to a good lunch at a local inn. The only limitation is weight: our planes can carry passengers up to 110kg.

An unforgettable experience: flying with the cranes

Anyone who decides, after a guest flight, to join and learn how to fly themselves will have to visit a flight doctor before his or her first solo flight. That first “free” flight typically happens after 50 to 100 flights with an instructor.

Learning to fly – training

How do I become a glider pilot?

There is no legal minimum age to start training. However typically students are at least 13 years of age when they are ready to handle a plane.

The training is divided into theoretical and practical sessions. At our airfield near Neuruppin the focus is on the practical part. Two double-seaters (ASK 21) are available for training flights.

Our volunteer flight instructors will teach you everything you need to know and do in order to become an excellent pilot. What counts is your personal commitment. Typically 40-80 starts with an instructor are necessary before you can get into the air on your own for the first time. These first solo flights are followed by further training flights in a double seater plane, then also in single seaters before you can apply for your practical examination. Throughout he whole journey a flight instructor will always be at your side with advice and support.

It will take between one to three years of training before you can hold your license as a glider pilot in your hands — all depending on your flying activity during the training. The gliding season runs from the end of March to the end of October.

During the winter months, the basic theoretical knowledge is taught at the Technical University of Berlin. The classes include the subjects of meteorology, aviation law, human performance limits, navigation, behaviour in unusual circumstances, aerodynamics, and aviation technology.

If — after reading this website, visiting our airfield and perhaps even taking a first test flight — you come to decide to join, please send us a two-line email at info@segelflug.berlin and introduce yourself! You will then receive the admission forms via pdf. As a rule, you will be registered for insurance purposes for the next flight day and can begin your training straight away.

Notice! Due to regulations we are constrained to instruct in German. Exams are held and final documentation must be issued German. Though all our instructors are quite fluent in English, we highly recommend learning German a.s.a.p.

Some information as PDF

Our Statutes

Costs