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Loren Faulkner

Soaring In Southern California
August 20, 2008

O.K. Today’s blog posting is going to be a stretch to connect to the world of heavy construction. But here it is: in a Sailplane at 8,500 feet above the Hemet/San Jacinto Valley in the Inland Empire of So Cal, I can see the effects of the housing slump/economic slow-down from a different angle. Last year dozens of new housing tracts, with yellow and orange heavy iron scraping and excavating away, were being constructed. Today, there is no activity. O.K., that’s out of the way.

Fun

The Labor Day holiday is around the corner. If you want a change of pace—that might also open new vistas for you—climb down from that excavator, get out from behind that desk or counter, and take a ride in a Sailplane. If the pilot lets you try the controls, you’ll find you use similar skills operating heavy equipment: stick and rudder (foot pedals), good depth perception.


Krosno two-seat trainer (Photo: Cypress Soaring)

If you like flying, you’ll love soaring. 17 months ago, I took a flight and got hooked on Soaring. Sailplanes are designed to glide long distances without the help of an engine. The one I’m currently learning in has a wingspan of 53 feet. When you get towed by an airplane to one mile up, when released, you could glide forward 26 miles. It is a two-seat aircraft with a canopy that looks vaguely like a T-38 Talon jet—the view from the front seat is amazing.

View from a P-W6 Sailplane on tow at 200 ft. on take-off. (Photo: Cypress Soaring)

Most people find it hard to believe that a Sailplane with no engine, that weighs over 1,000 pounds, can stay up in the air for hours using only the wind to keep them aloft. My longest flight so far is 1 hour and 34minutes. I belong to Cypress Soaring Club where recently one of our members, Scott Lance, Soared up to 17,000 feet, was in the air over 3 hours, and traveled over 100 miles.

Krosno about to land. (Photo: Loren Faulkner)

I can tell you, circling high above the earth, with hawks and other soaring birds will clear the cobwebs from your mind. You focus only on the moment. The exhilaration after a flight—even a short one-- is like having taken a five mile run.

Birds-eye view of Hemet, CA airport; construction has stalled.(Photo: Cypress Soaring)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe? You can fly and solo a Sailplane at age 14, two years before you can get a drivers license in California.  I learned to Soar  from Larry Howell, a 63-year-old former Navy F-4 Phantom fighter pilot.

What Does It Cost? If you join a Soaring club (there are about 140 in the U.S.) it is probably less than what a round of golf would cost, per flight.

Where Can I Get A “Test” Flight? To see a good video of soaring, log on to www.skysailing.com, then scroll down to where it says “ NBC TODAY SHOW shown Dec.17^th, and click to the sight there. You’ll see NBC’s Lester Holt taking a ride in a Sailplane. It’s about as good an intro as I’ve seen. Also, log on to www.ssa.org to find a Glider Airport near you.

At any rate, have a good, safe Labor Day weekend. And if you take a flight in a Sailplane any time in the future, let us know about your experience. We’ll post it here…

Posted by Loren Faulkner on August 20, 2008 | Comments (0)