A GLIDING club is soaring high as it celebrates its 75th birthday with a 93-year-old president who still takes to the skies.

The Yorkshire Gliding Club, on the top of Sutton Bank, North Yorkshire, was set up by a group of enthusiasts on April 21 1934 and it marked its anniversary this week.

Current club president Moyra Johnson was one of the first to fly from the site when she took to the air in 1935.

She was on hand at a special event to mark the anniversary and even took to the skies in a glider last weekend.

She said: "It’s a good life and it’s really exciting to be up there in a glider.

"I was 20-years-old when I got my glider’s licence and I was so competitive and it meant I didn’t want to be beaten by the boys.

"I did it just for fun and I never entered any competitions. I can still fly in two seaters now and I still get a thrill out of it."

Flying took place at the hill in the very early years of aviation at the turn of the 19th century but it flourished when the club began.

The club is keen to mark its anniversary and it is planning a series of event including a scheme to get 75 youngsters up in gliders this year.

Officials are also keen to attract youngsters to try the sport and are keen to stress it is not an elitist past-time.

Graham Evison, chairman of the club, said: "It’s a major achievement and what we are trying to do now is to get as many people interested in gliding as we can.

"It’s not an elitist sport and one of the problems we have is that people think it is. We currently have about 175 members who come from various backgrounds."

Anyone interested in trying out the sport can get details from www.ygc.co.uk.