What is Soaring/Gliding?  The First Controlled flight (Wright Brothers, 1902)  Gliders (Sailplanes) are airplanes without engines  They stay aloft by exploiting weather systems

Wilbur Wright at the Controls of the 1902 Glider

Moving Right Along – A 1940’s Glider (Hungarian)

Typical Modern Glider (SH-Cirrus)

Virginia Pilots Clearly a Minority Group in Aviation – But the Most Fun!

Examples of Extreme Soaring Flight  World Record Altitude over 50,000’  World Record distances over 1,000 miles  Duration Records no longer kept! (Stopped at nearly 50 hours... )  World, National, and Regional Contests involve speed around a closed course

A Modern Two-Place Training Sailplane (ASK-21)

Examples of Ordinary Flight  Training flights last about 20 minutes each  Typical ‘fun-flight’ lasts 2-5 hours, distances of up to ca. 100 miles

Waves Over Omarama

Forcing the Glider to Come Down!!

The Pilot’s View While Being Towed Aloft to Start Flight

Civil Air Patrol Cadets Get Flight Instruction

The Start Grid of a Regional Contest

Thank You! Jim Kellett Director, Region IV Soaring Society of America CAP Glider Flight Instructor and Check Pilot Skyline Soaring Club Flight Instructor

A 22 Metre Wingspan Two Place Glider in New Zealand