How You Can Become a Glider Pilot

1
How You Can Become a Glider Pilot

• John H. Campbell
• Soaring Society of America

and Why, What, Where, and When
2
Soaring Sites near Denversome CLUB, some
COMMERCIAL

• NORTH (Wellington)
• Colorado SA
• NORTHWEST (Boulder)
• Mile High Gliding
• SS of Boulder
• Denver SC
• SOUTHEAST (Elbert)
• Black Forest SS
• SOUTHWEST
• Peak Soaring (Penrose)
• Dunlop Aero (Salida)
• SOUTH
• High Flights SC (Falcon)
• USAF Academy (CSpgs)

and also Aspen, Crawford, Durango, Rangely,
Steamboat Springs, Telluride, camps at Buena
Vista, Creede, Walden, Westcliffe
WHERE
3
FARs, Part 61
PILOT CERTIFICATES WITH GLIDER RATING (and CFI
launch endorsement Aero/Ground/Motor)
HOW
4
SOARING BADGES

• A Solo flight
• B 1/2 hr flight
• C 1 hr flight
• BRONZE C
• 2 hr flights X/C Training

SOARING SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Charles Lindbergh 10, 1930. Neil Armstrong
4,309, 1966

• SILVER C
• 5 hr, 1,000m, 50 km
• GOLD C
• 5 hr, 3,000m, 300 km
• DIAMONDS
• 300 km goal, 5,000m, 500 km

860 3-Diamond pilots in USA. Paul MacCready
5, 1950.
WHAT
5
COSTS
Introductory Ride 75
120 Mini-Lesson 3 Pack 150
160 Add-on Rating 800
800

• For Flight Training, DISREGARD the Cost/Hour !
• Think Cost/Flight and SOARING will seem cheap !
• Big cost is AeroTow (1 per FLIGHT, not HOUR)
• Difficult tasks are launch landing (1 per
  FLIGHT)
• 20 min. dual flt 130/hr. 3 hr solo soaring
  flt 40/hr
• Its borrowing that engine for 5 min. that costs
  you.

Dues and Initiation often waived/reduced for
youth or skills
HOW
6
GLIDERS SAILPLANES

• IN THE HALL TODAY

1970s Beta
1930s Primary
ENTRANCE
1960s SGS 1-24
B-1
B-18
CAPs ASK-21
USAFA 2-33 wing
Private DG-300
The Top 3 2-33 salvage are WORASMs, on
permanent display
WHAT
7
EQUIPMENT
Unlike many sports, participants need not be
owners. Buying a sailplane need not be your first
move
In the USA, there are 14,000 SSA Members and
40,000 glider rated pilots, but only 6,000
sailplanes. Partnerships and Rentals rule.

• TRAINERS
• SGS 2-33
• Blanik L-13, L-23
• ASK-13, ASK-21
• SPORT SHIPS
• Libelle
• Pegase
• PW-5, 1-26
• CONTEST SHIPS
• Nimbus 3
• ASW-27
• LS-8
• MOTORGLIDERS
• Ximango, G109
• DG-800, ASH-26

8,000
14,000
24,000
8,000
100,000
HOW