May 13, 2008

Soar Minden
Glider Flight Information

Cross-Country Flights

Located on the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada escarpment and the western edge of the Great Basin, Soar Minden is perfectly located to take advantage of mountain wave and strong thermals for long cross country flights. Fly with one of our instructors in a Grob 103, fully equipped with oxygen for sustained flight above 15,000', or plan your flight with one of our instructors taking into account the current weather, best turnpoints, safety issues and your own flying skills.

Whether you are flying your own glider or renting one of ours, please take advantage of our instructors' experience to plan your flight safely.  We will brief you on Procedure Alpha for safe flight on the White and Inyo Mountains, or on arrival and departure routes (SIDS and STARS) for Reno International Airport so you can avoid the commercial traffic that frequently passes overhead.  We will also brief you on the Alert Area being considered by the FAA and on communicating with Reno Approach so they will know where you are.  And we will brief you on using our oxygen systems so you can stay safe in high-altitude flight.

Silver, Gold and Diamond badge flights are possible every month of the year and our sailplanes are equipped to make your flight possible. Rent a GPS data logger from us or bring your own to record your flight. (Remember to bring the software and cables for your data logger if you bring your own, as we do not have all makes and models on hand.) Our staff will act as Official Observers for your badge flight and you can use our wireless link to enter each day’s flight directly onto the On Line Contest.