GlideHQ is coming for Irish gliding clubs
GlideHQ is being built around the way a gliding day really works. Aircraft status, the flying list, duty cover, check flights, launches and member accounts will share one record. It has not launched. Irish clubs can register interest without commitment, enter the early access line and help choose the first build priorities.
- Register interest free
- Founding clubs shape the first version
- No commitment
What is gliding club management software?
Gliding club management software is the system behind aircraft, people and movements at a club. It records daily inspections, serviceability, the live flying order, qualified duties, currency, launch types and member charges. For an Irish Gliding and Soaring Association club, it replaces the launch point board, paper logs and the spreadsheet used to rebuild accounts. GlideHQ is in build for this work. It treats winch and aerotow as different operations and does not pretend pilots use fixed calendar slots. The product is not live.
The flying day beyond the whiteboard
This phone screen is from the GlideHQ build running a demo club. It shows the current flying day open, offers a live club map one tap away and creates one record for each aircraft movement. The product is not launched. The view demonstrates how activity at the airfield can become available to the wider club.
- The open status of the current flying day is the first operational information members see.
- A live map is available in one tap while officers and members are at the airfield.
- Each movement goes into one shared club record for aircraft history and accurate charging.
GlideHQ on a phone, from the build running a demo club. Nothing to install.
What gliding asks for that generic club software does not do
Any club platform will hold your members and take your subs. These are the parts clubs end up running in a spreadsheet alongside it.
Nothing appears ready before inspection
A daily inspection must be signed before the first launch. Aircraft condition therefore belongs above bookings and the flight list. If a glider is unserviceable, the system should remove it from the available choices.
The flying list must move
Members join an order that changes through the day. Weather, check flights and launch failures all affect it. A shared queue reflects the launch point, while half-hour bookings become wrong almost immediately.
Every operating role needs cover
Instructors, winch drivers, tug pilots and duty pilots enable the relevant launch operation. A missing person can halt flying. Showing gaps well ahead gives the committee time to arrange a qualified replacement.
Check currency while setting the list
Time since last flight, annual checks and conversion to type can require an instructor flight before solo. That should be clear during planning. Finding out at the launch point disrupts everybody waiting behind.
Base monthly accounts on flight records
Soaring time, aerotows and winch launches may be charged at different rates. Each record needs the aircraft and member. The treasurer then has an accurate base instead of decoding paper logs later.
Keep each launch method honest
Winch and aerotow require their own crews, briefings and charges. Clubs using both are running two processes from one field. GlideHQ will preserve those details while keeping the members and aircraft together.
What GlideHQ will handle
Flying list
Run the daily launch order without depending on the whiteboard.
Aircraft records
Keep club gliders, tugs and maintenance status together in one register.
Duty rota
Schedule instructors, winch drivers and duty pilots fairly on the rota.
Flight log
Record launches and hours against the right members and aircraft.
Member portal
Members reach bookings, accounts and club news through one login.
Training progress
Show progression and sign-offs where every instructor can find them.
Moving over without losing a season
The usual reason a committee stays on something that half works is the thought of moving. It is a smaller job than it looks, and you do not have to do it in one go.
What clubs come from
- The launch point whiteboard
- Paper flying and movement sheets
- A hand-built treasurer workbook
- Calls for missing roster cover
Most clubs arrive with three or four of these running at once. That is normal.
-
Send us what you already have
A membership spreadsheet, a CSV export, or the list your treasurer keeps. It does not need tidying up first. Messy is what we expect.
-
We load it and check it with you
We import members, kit and your season, then sit with one person from the committee to check it looks like your club rather than a demo.
-
Run both for as long as you want
Nothing forces you to switch everything on day one. Plenty of clubs run the old rota alongside for a few weeks until people trust the new one.
-
Leave whenever you like
Your data exports in full, at any point, at no charge. A system you cannot walk away from is not one you should sign up to.
Founding clubs help decide what GlideHQ imports on day one. Tell us what you run now and it shapes the build.
Who is behind GlideHQ
There is no published gliding case study yet, and we are not going to invent one. What we can point at is the engine underneath. RowHQ runs Oundle Town Rowing Club day to day, with real members, real money and real race entries going through it.
GlideHQ is a different sport on the same foundation, built by the same people. It is in build, and founding clubs get a direct line to the people writing it.
Questions about gliding club management software
What is gliding club management software in Ireland?
It is one system for daily inspections, aircraft serviceability, the moving flying list, duty cover, launches, training and member accounts. An Irish Gliding and Soaring Association club can replace its whiteboard, paper movement log and billing spreadsheet. GlideHQ is being developed for gliding-specific checks and queues. It has not launched.
How much will GlideHQ cost an Irish club?
GlideHQ is still being built. Published pricing is free below 21 active members. The 21 to 30 band costs €18 monthly excluding VAT, while the 251 to 300 band costs €140. Every band includes all features. There is no platform transaction fee, and Stripe sends card money to the club's own account.
Can GlideHQ hold Garda vetting records?
The planned member record can keep relevant safeguarding information. Garda vetting is mandatory for work with children or vulnerable people and is processed only for registered organisations. Clubs apply through their national governing body. Northern Ireland uses AccessNI instead. GlideHQ will organise the record, while the club remains responsible for following the correct process.
Will it stop an unserviceable aircraft being selected?
Yes. Daily inspections and aircraft condition are central build requirements. The serviceability status should determine whether a glider appears available before the first launch. That prevents the flying list being built around an aircraft that cannot be used and keeps the condition record connected to the operation.
Can GlideHQ bill different launch methods?
Yes. The planned flight record keeps winch launches, aerotows and soaring time against the member and aircraft. Each launch method can retain its own charge. That gives the treasurer the correct source information without rebuilding the month from paper movement sheets.
Is there funding an Irish gliding club could use for this?
Yes. Irish clubs lean on the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme for bigger purchases and on their Local Sports Partnership for smaller supports, and committees routinely fund running costs that way. The free band under 21 active members costs nothing, and annual billing is charged at ten months rather than twelve.
Register interest
Be first in line when GlideHQ launches, and help shape what gets built first.
The rest of the HQ family
One app per sport, sharing an engine underneath. Plenty of clubs run more than one.