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Soar Like An Eagle
just minutes from St. Louis
by Marian Rein
I would venture a guess that most people have entertained the idea of soaring like an eagle or a hawk, with nothing but wings and the forces of nature to carry them higher and higher. It’s possible! And not only is it possible, it’s happening every day all over the country—and just minutes from St. Louis.
I’m referring to a sport called soaring. Also known as gliding, soaring is a form of motorless flight, utilizing specially designed airplanes called sailplanes or gliders. That’s right, no motors! Here are the basics: a 200-foot nylon or polypropylene rope is secured by a special hook to a tow plane. The other end is connected to the nose of the glider. The glider is then towed to an altitude of approximately 1,000 to 3,000 feet, at which point the glider pilot pulls the release, the rope detaches from the glider, and the fun begins.
Barring wind and other environmental conditions, an average glider can stay aloft from 3,000 feet for approximately 20 minutes before landing. Throw in a skilled glider pilot and a few other favorable weather conditions and that number can climb from minutes to hours. And not only can the time aloft increase, so can the altitude. You might wonder how that is possible. It’s called lift. When a glider flies through an air mass that is rising at a faster rate than the sailplane is gliding downward, increased altitude occurs. Lift is perhaps the most thrilling part of flying without an engine.
The most common sources of lift are thermal lift, ridge or slope lift, and wave lift. In the Midwest, thermal lift is the most common form. Thermal lift is created when the earth is heated by the sun. Warm, rising air forms into columns called thermals. Plowed fields, asphalt parking lots and rocky terrain absorb the sun’s heat quickly and provide excellent sources of lift. In some areas of the United States, sailplanes have ridden thermals up to altitudes of 25,000 feet, but in the Midwest, reaching altitudes of 5,000 feet is considered a good soaring day, and 7,000 feet is considered fantastic!
In the world of soaring, flying “in lift” to achieve higher and higher altitudes is known as thermaling. This technique of increasing altitude relies on the skill and judgment of the pilot who must analyze weather conditions and terrain to seek out thermals. At the first sign of lift, the glider pilot will circle the glider within the thermal, riding upward until the lift runs out, at which point another source of lift is sought.
Reaching for higher altitudes is a big part of the fun, but in the sport of soaring, distance is also a factor. Distance flying is referred to as flying cross country. After earning a private pilot glider certificate, and as pilots’ skill and confidence improve, they will learn to leave their home field, heading out on cross-country flights. Generally, a pilot will chart a course—from home base and back—that includes several points, usually airports (just in case the weather conditions change and the pilot needs a safe place to land). Leaving the comfort of known thermal sources and home-field familiarity is a thrill, and the pilot must draw on accumulated knowledge of the
ground and air mass, navigation and flying skills to stay aloft. Typically, this would include 70 to 80 miles of total distance on a very good day of soaring.
Have I captured your interest yet? Are you ready to start soaring? The first step is to go for a ride! Just minutes from St. Louis is the St. Louis Soaring Association (SLSA) at the Highland-Winet
Airport, 30 miles east of St. Louis on I-70 in Highland, Illinois. Give them a call to schedule a time for a flight. Your first flight will give you an experience like none other. You might consider a glider ride for dad on Father’s Day!
After your introductory flight, you may decide to become a pilot. Lessons can be scheduled at the SLSA. How long it takes you to solo depends on several factors, including how often you have your lessons. For people with no previous flying experience, most instructors require a minimum of 30 to 35 flights with an instructor prior to solo. Experienced power pilots can usually solo a glider in 10 flights or less. People as young as 14 years old are permitted to solo.
To become a licenced glider pilot, you will also be required to pass a Federal Aviation Administration written exam and a “check ride.” The folks at the SLSA can give you more information about how to become a glider pilot. You can learn more by visiting their website at www.stlsoar.org and the Soaring Society of America website www.ssa.org.
St. Louis Soaring Association
Highland-Winet Airport
(618) 654-3511
Rich Hehmann, President
(618) 233-4270
Don Kliethermes, VP
(314) 428-4907
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