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GLIDER TRAINING

Soar like a bird. Experience silent flight.

Glider flying allows you to feel the effects of thermals and to join birds of prey as they lazily circle in columns of rising air. It is “seat of the pants” flying which will help to improve your basic flying skills. You will learn how to read the clouds to find lift and improve your judgment skills. You will enhance your positional awareness, since you must plan your flights to arrive at airports at the proper altitude. Without an engine there is no go around. Each approach to landing must be planned and executed properly in order to insure a successful outcome. The slow speed of gliders does allow for off airport landings in relatively small fields making glider flying very safe.

For those of you who would like to be involve in gliding, but are not sure about flying without an engine, tow pilot training is available. You will make a limited number of glider flights so that you will know what the glider pilot is experiencing as you tow him aloft. You will learn the visual signal to communicate with the glider and have to opportunity to pull the glider to altitude on a 200 foot rope. The additional drag will make the airplane perform like it was at a much higher altitude allowing you to practice you flying skills nearer the performance limits of your airplane.