WHEN teenager George Hunter first sat in a glider he was shaking with fear – now, two and a half years later, he has finished second in Booker Gliding Club’s regional competition.

Hunter competed at the front of the field throughout the competition as he went head to head with pilots with far more gliding experience than him.

The 18-year-old held his own though and even led the Chasing pack at one point in the competition.

His impressive form continued and saw him finish runner-up overall behind eventual winner Jim White at the conclusion of the nine-day cross country racing competition, which was reduced to six days because of adverse weather conditions.

But it wasn’t always like that. Proud Booker Gliding Club instructor Jane Moore remembered Hunter’s first visit to the club for his maiden lesson on New Year’s Eve in 2013.

She said: “I gave him his first flight and he was shaking. I asked him ‘Are you cold?’ and he said he was just terrified.”

But the boy, who used to make model aeroplanes as a child, was hooked after that first lesson and has made rapid progress ever since as part of the club’s cadet scheme.

He made his first solo flight five months later and has already won an aerobatic competition at the club and competed in junior national events.

Hunter’s appetite for the sport has been insatiable since making his maiden flight and he has added to his success in competitions by acquiring his silver badge instructor rating.

Moore said: “I’m delighted for him. He’s done more than I have in 30 years and he’s only been doing it for two and a half years. He’s beating people who have been flying for years.

“He’s come on leaps and bounds but he has really put the effort in and he is such a nice lad as well.”

Hunter is now beginning to see the rewards of his dedication which has seen him make a number of sacrifices to compete in gliding.

When his family moved to Buckingham he used to make the 30-mile trip on his bike back to his home town and Booker Gliding Club at Wycombe Air Park so he could continue his gliding before his family moved back to the area.

He celebrated his 18th birthday by completing his first 500km flight and his obsession with gliding extends beyond a sporting pursuit and into his working life.

He works full-time as an engineer at Zulu Glasstek in Long Crendon where he uses his expertise to help perform repairs and maintenance on different types of glider.