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SARATOGA SOARING ASSOCIATION at the Saratoga County Airport.
The Saratoga Soaring Association was
founded in 1983 and is a group of about 30 licensed glider pilots and
student pilots that fly sailplanes at Saratoga county Airport. The club has
two training gliders and uses a Pawnee towplane. Both trainers are two-seat
aircraft. One is a fiberglass Grob 103; the other is a Schweizer 2-33A.
Flight training is provided by the club's 5 certified instructors, and the
club's 5 certified towplane pilots keep the flight operations going on a
regular schedule. In addition to the club gliders several members have
their own single seat gliders. These aircraft are not tube and fabric hang
gliders but are rigid wing, fully certified sailplanes that can weigh 1,000
pounds or more. Introductory
glider rides are available for those who would wish to try this aviation
sport. To find contact names
and phone numbers click on the “ABOUT SSA” link in the above left portion
of this page.
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Sailplanes are towed
aloft by a powered aircraft then released at approximately 2,000 feet. The
sailplane flight can be as short as 20 minutes, but flights as long as 5
hours or more are not unusual for the experienced pilots. The sailplane
pilot searches for rising currents of air called thermals, then circles in
the thermal like a hawk to gain altitude. The New York State Standard Class
Altitude record in a sailplane (15,700 feet) is held by one of our female
members.
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