After going solo, most glider pilots aim to get their Bronze Badge with Cross-country Endorsement (abbreviated as “Bronze/XC”), which is currently a requirement for making solo cross-country flights from BGA gliding clubs. One of the prerequisites for Bronze/XC is passing the Bronze written exam.
Useful study resources for this exam include:
- Bronze and Beyond, a slim volume that contains almost everything that you need to know to pass the Bronze exam (and very little that you don’t). If you only use one book to study for the exam, make it this one. It’s available from the CGC office, or direct from the author: http://www.mccullagh.biz/
- Gliding: Theory of Flight, a larger (and more expensive) textbook that goes into more depth on many topics; you may find it useful in addition to (but not instead of) “Bronze and Beyond”. It’s available new and second-hand from several online book shops: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/isbn/9780713686609/ … or from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gliding-Theory-Flight-British-Manual/dp/071368660X
- The Bronze Course web site, which hosts free online video briefings covering much of the Bronze exam syllabus, with new briefings added from time to time. See the Introduction briefing for lots more detail on the mechanics of taking the Bronze written exam: http://bronze-course.uk
Until 30th September 2025, Bronze/XC (along with a suitable pilot medical certificate) can be used to claim a CAA-issued Sailplane Pilots Licence (SPL); after that date it will instead be necessary to pass the relevant CAA exams. Pilots holding Bronze/XC are strongly advised to apply for a CAA SPL via this route as soon as possible. See https://members.gliding.co.uk/pilot-licence-conversion/ for more details.
