Men have long envied the flight of soaring birds, with their ability to remain aloft using only air currents. At Soaring Sooners, Assoc. (SS) we practice and teach the art of soaring. SS was formed in the spring of 1982 and incorporated in the State of Oklahoma. Members have held records within Oklahoma and the U.S. and have won in national contests.

SS continues to grow. It has accomplished this by the voluntary efforts of all its members. No member is paid for any of his/her services or time donated for the benefit of SS. It is only because of the cooperative efforts of our members that glider rental and tow rates are kept low.

Glider flying is a community activity – a result of many people helping each other. Members of the club perform voluntarily to run wings, tow gliders, instruct, schedule flights and help operate the flight line. All members are expected to assist with annuals and other seasonal clean-up work parties held during the year. Additionally, members are expected to assist with other necessary tasks whenever required.

The cooperative effort of all members is required.

The members and membership of Soaring Sooners own several gliders. Membership meetings are held monthly. Election of officers is held in April and a compulsory safety meeting is held each spring.

One word of caution: gliders are designed for pilots who are not too far from the average in terms of height and weight. You must be able to reach the controls, and be able to sit in the cockpit without sticking your head through the canopy. If you are under 5’ 0” or over 6’ 6” in height, or less than 100 lb. or more than 220 lb. In weight, you should check to confirm that our gliders are suitable for you, or can be adjusted (e.g. by addition of ballast weights), so that you can be accommodated comfortably and operate the controls effectively and safely.

GENERAL INFORMATION

When you start your flight training, you will need three things - study materials, a log book and (before going solo) a student pilot certificate (unless you are already a licensed power pilot. You can obtain a pilot log book and the required study materials from your instructor. Student certificates can be obtained in person from the Federal Aviation Administration at one of the local Flight Standards offices.

How do you join? You must complete the forms you can download from here (“Application for Membership” which includes the “Waiver and Indemnity”). Please note that, if you are married, the Waiver and Indemnity form MUST be signed by your spouse, regardless of whether or not he/she intends to be involved in SS activities. The signature(s) on the Waiver and Indemnity require to be notarized. Both fully completed forms, along with a check for the initiation fee, should be sent to SS.

Your application will be considered by the Board of Directors. If approved, you will be granted probationary membership status. This may be terminated at any time at the discretion of SS in which event your initiation fee, less any sums due, will be returned. The Board may grant full membership status after a minimum of three months, provided you have been active in the affairs of the Club - both flying and working - during the period of your probationary membership. You may start flying as soon as your probationary membership status has been approved, and once you have received an account number and completed SS’s orientation program for new members.

Members perform the day to day work of instructing, towing, maintenance, and the other many duties of running the organization. Without all members participating in the operations of SS, flying rates would increase drastically. It is a condition of membership that you will assist and continue to assist in these tasks.

Soaring Sooners is a chapter of a much larger organization, the Soaring Society of America (‘SSA’). When you join SS you also become (and must remain) a member of SSA (application included with other forms). This means many more benefits from your membership, including ‘Soaring’ magazine, published monthly. SSA also has a web site, which you may join at YAHOO and to which your contributions are invited.

SOARING IS FUN!

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HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The initiation fee, which is non-refundable unless full membership is not granted, is $414.00 for age 18 years and older. If under 18, the initiation fee is $211.00 with an additional $50.00 payable upon reaching 18. Family membership at SS is encouraged. Membership allows your immediate family to fly also. Your children, if active flying members, may become full SS members without initiation fee on completing full time education or reaching 21, whichever first occurs. A special short term membership of one month ($25.00 fee plus $150.00 deposit towards flying charges) is available to persons holding a US or foreign private glider rating who are already members of SS or an equivalent overseas organization. All memberships must be approved by the Board of Directors.

Payment of the initiation fee covers your SS and SSA membership until next annual renewal. Thereafter you must pre-pay all your flying charges before each flight. Currently, no per month capital improvement charge and or per month accounting fee is charged. Annual membership renewals (SS $250.00 adult or $125 Youth; SSA $64 Adult or $36 Youth) are billed in March.

Equipment Per Flight Per 10 Per Yr

Rate Prepaid Prepaid

Glider Rental $10 $100 $200

Gliders: Schweizer 2-33 and Schweizer 1-26

Aerotow $20.00 to 1000 feet,

$25.00 to 2000 feet, then $1.00 per 100 feet.

Demo Rides $50 per flight includes tow to 2000 feet, glider rental and instructor

Hangars and Sailplane Trailer Parking

Hangar $75.00 per month if available (trailer included)

Sailplane/Trailer $ 5.00 per month outside parking (if hangar not rented).

Additionally, members are required to assume personal financial responsibility for the first $3,000 of damage which they may cause to SS equipment. Renter’s insurance for damage to SS aircraft is available at low cost

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Instruction is free, so be good to your instructor!

After joining the Soaring Sooners, you may arrive at the gliderport on a warm summer weekend full of enthusiasm to get started, only to discover from the Line Chief that all training gliders are taken for several hours.

Do not despair. Use the time by making yourself useful. Learn how to hook up ropes, help people into cockpits, push gliders around and run wings. If you identify yourself as a newcomer, most anyone will explain how this is done. One cardinal rule in being active on an airport is to WATCH OUT! Silent sailplanes will be landing and taking off, and many of the gliders will have students flying them, so keep alert. A few fundamental rules are essential, such as:

n Never hook a towline to an empty glider.

n Never leave a glider in a position to get blown over, -- in fact, it is a good idea to have someone stay with an empty glider in an exposed position at all times.

n Never raise a wing of a glider preparing for a tow unless the pilot indicates he/she is ready for take off and there is no other aircraft on the approach to landing.

n Watch out for other gliders.

There are other safety rules regarding the use of an airport, and most of them are simply good sense. Your instructor will advise you on these as your instruction progresses. Read your Operations Manual for the procedures in use at SS. Compliance with this Manual is obligatory for all members.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

If you learn to fly in the winter, when short flights are usual, you may solo in less than 5 hours. If you learn in the summer, it is possible to have 8 hours of flying and not be ready to solo, since you will have made only 8 landings if each flight lasted an hour. Do not expect to fly for an hour, especially at the beginning of your training. Most students find a 20 to 30 minute flight quite enough for them to absorb early on. Plan on training in the mornings when the calmer air will allow you to perfect your flight maneuvers, and gliders are less in demand. After solo, you will be expected to go on to obtain your private license. There are also awards in the form of national and international badges given for flying achievements. In general, the satisfaction of being a good pilot is most worthwhile, no matter how long it takes. Competitions at national and local level are held during the summer months

Complete FULLY and sign the Application for Membership forms

(Download documents below)

Soaring Sooners Application for Membership
Waiver, Indemnity and consent (if married, spouse also must sign; if minor, parent/guardian must sign) WITH ALL SIGNATURES NOTARIZED.

SSA Chapter Member Input Form (marked items only, no signature required).

Mail or hand deliver all the completed forms accompanied by a check for the Initiation Fee payable to Soaring Sooners, Association.

Your membership will become effective when the forms have been processed and an account number issued to you, and you have completed a New Member Orientation. UNTIL THEN, YOU CANNOT FLY USING YOUR NEW MEMBERSHIP.

ONLY MEMBERS MAY FLY

COME VISIT !