SARATOGA SOARING ASSOCIATION

Saratoga County Airport

The Saratoga Soaring Association was founded in 1983 and is a group of about 35 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 Schweitzer 2-33. Flight training is provided by the club’s 6 certified instructors, and the club’s 7 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. 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.

Thermals may also be used as “stepping stones in the sky”. A pilot can “hop” from one thermal to another and make long cross-country soaring flights. On a good day a pilot can easily make flights of 100 miles or more and return to the home airfield. Soaring flights of over 300 miles have been made from Saratoga County Airport!

The first step in obtaining a pilot’s license is to become proficient enough to fly the glider solo. While an enjoyable process, preparing to solo can take quite a while, and normally involves many flights with instructors. Once a student learns to fly solo, the next step is to hone his/her flying skills in preparation for a flight exam with an FAA examiner. During this time students also prepare for and take a written exam covering aspects of soaring flight such as regulations, weather, and navigation. In addition to the considerable time and effort needed to obtain these skills and knowledge, flying in a club environment requires an even greater level of commitment. All members pitch in with the flight line activities and routine maintenance of the gliders. Indeed, it’s not unusual to spend an entire day at the airfield helping with ground operations and “hanger flying” with friends while waiting for a turn to fly a club glider. Some people may not be able to make this time commitment and may prefer to trade money for time by going to a commercial glider flight school where they can schedule a precise time to fly.

Club members include a variety of friendly people all interested in flying; engineers, teachers, retirees, students, and commercial pilots. Our Pawnee towplane has just completed a major overhaul and aerotows will continue to be safe and efficient. We fly primarily on the weekends but weekday operations are not unusual. We have a well organized instruction program. Instructors are scheduled for both weekend days and you can schedule instruction by contacting an instructor 2 days prior to the day you wish to fly. Instruction comes at no charge to members.

Interested In Joining Our Club?

In order to obtain a glider pilot’s license you need to be in good health with no medical conditions that would interfere with flying. You are welcome to come out to the airport to see what soaring is all about and decide if you are interested in joining. Flight operations are conducted almost every weekend (weather permitting) April through November. The Saratoga County Airport is about 3 miles southwest of Saratoga Springs, New York on Geyser Road, 3 miles west to Route 50 and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).

There are several cost options available to cover the initial club one-time membership fee and these are shown on the “…information about joining” page. Other cost include tow fees for each flight (about $30) and annual dues (about $480). The annual dues cover insurance, overhead expenses, and membership in the Soaring Society of America ($64) which includes the monthly magazine Soaring. Further information can be obtained from:

Ken Helm, 518-462-9659 kenhelm@earthlink.net

President

Fred Woll, 518-877-0416 fredwoll@verizon.net

Vice President

Mike McCarron, 518-587-1957 mmccarr2@nycap.rr.com

Safety and Operations