Fun Country Soaring Club News

Make your New Years resolution come true and purchase a 30 day temporary membership today for only $85. There is no time better than now to take flight for the first time. Contact Ken Bartlett to purchase the gift certificate.

Congratulations to Greg Brown on being awarded the 1-26 trophy at the annual Fun Country Soaring meeting for his accomplishments during the 2011 soaring season.

For more info on earning your SSA Badges click on the icon above
or send email to Mark Sanderson at
ABC@focal-plane.com

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The Magic of Motorless Flight

The Tow th

To get airborne the glider is attached to a 200 foot rope and towed aloft by a powered airplane. Usually the tow will be to 3000 feet which takes about 5 minutes. Once at altitude, the pilot will pull a lever which releases the tow rope from the glider. The pilot will then gently turn away to the right and your flight has begun. It is wonderfully quiet once released from the tow plane.

The Flight

After release, a sailplane can stay airborne for hours if the soaring conditions are good. An ideal day for soaring would be one where the sun is hot and the wind is light. On days like this you will see cumulus clouds marking the tops of thermals. These are markers of lift for soaring pilots. Sailplane can circle in the lift under them gaining altitude and watching the world get smaller underneath them. On a good day you climb to 5000 feet then head off to do some sight seeing over local towns and attractions.

The Landing

When the thermals have died or you just decide your ready to come back to earth, landing is the final step in a flight. First you must enter the pattern for the runway you will be landing on. All gliders fly the same pattern to avoid traffic conflicts. Most gliders approach and land between 50-60 mph.