NEWSFLASH: Bob Wander will be our guest instructor at Marfa Gliders in west Texas September 29 through October 1, 2003. Bob is the author and publisher of many books on soaring and is the primary instructor at the Soaring Safety Foundation Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics around the USA. If...

USA / SSA Commercial Soaring Operators and SSA Chapter Clubs: Now is the time to check your listing on "Where To Fly" (it's hiding behind "The Sport" button) at www.ssa.org and make updates and corrections, especially to your contact information. Look at your listing then email your updates to...

Nice article about Jim Kellett of Skyline Soaring Club / Westchester, Virginia in this newspaper. http://www.winchesterstar.com/TheWinchesterStar/041208/Area_flying.asp Burt Marfa

Dick Johnson's April Wave Camp saw altitudes in thermal to wave of over 20,000' msl and Rolf Siebert of Canada flew a couple of 500 km flights. We had 24 sailplanes visit us for 9 days from Virginia, New York, California, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma and east Texas. Bob Wander was our guest...

MARFA 2004 APRIL 3 - 11: Dick Johnson's annual Marfa Wave Camp, with guest instuctor Bob Wander, author of many soaring books and mentor to thousands of glider pilots. MAY 28 - 30: "Wings and Wheels" Memorial Day weekend Fly-In for airplanes, gliders, vintage cars and motorcycles. Pancake...

SSA members and soaring enthusiasts: I just received my vendor's package and I'm pumped up! 20 sailplanes and 50 vendors! Atlanta will be awesome! If you have never been to a SSA Convention, or are still pondering coming to Atlanta - don't miss this one! Get your airline ticket this week and...

"Rocketman" Bill has a set of wings south of Miami near Homestead, FL. Call his cellphone at 305-753-6058. Yep, this is the guy that worked on the jet launched L-13 that never flew, as the thrust was not as advertised.

After the SSA Directors decided in the fall of 2006 (and after another short debate in the fall of 2007 during which they upheld their decision) to hold our SSA Convention only every two years, the fabulous European Aero exhibition is now an annual event. One of the reasons presented to the SSA...

March 31 - April 7 The annual Marfa Thermal and Wave Camp is underway with early arrivals Dave Raspet, Rolf Seibert, Randy Teal, Jim Hardy using blue thermals to contact a bit of wave. Mentor and soparing legend Dick Johnson will arrive today, and we expect 20+ sailplanes by tomorrow. Steve...

Soaring Safety Foundation (SSF) programs at the SSA Convention - Memphis, TN: FEB 6 - FEB 7 (Tues - Wed 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM) Convention Center Room 205 Flight Instructor Recertification Clinic (FIRC) Led by Bob Wander and open to CFIG's that need to renew their certificates (every...

I need a high resolution digital image of a Blanik L-23 / ASK-21 / Grob 103 / Duo / DG-1000 or similar, representing a two seat, training sailplane for a national travel magazine. Sorry, no 2-33's (and let's not go there.) The image they have is of a Blanik L-23, a nice photo aloft in a...

(From Sportavia Gliding, a well-known soaring site at Tocumwal, Australia.) Dear Gliding Friends, It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce the closure of Sportavia's commercial gliding operations. Since March we have been trying to sell the business and its assets or just the...

Hello to our friends in Dallas! Writer John Pronk has done a nice article on "Marfa Gliders" in the Sunday, July 23 edition of the Dallas Morning News. The article is also on their webpage, but with no photos and we sure would enjoy a hard copy for our scrapbook at Marfa. So, before you toss...

Marfa, Texas hosted several US National contests in the 1960's, and the 1970 World Soaring Contest, first ever in the USA. National level competition returns to Marfa as pilots and crews entered in the 2006 World Class (PW-5) national contest prepare to compete. The contest begins June 20 and...

May 30, 2006 Pre-Contest Report: Pilots John Byrd, Bill Snead and Tom McKnight have already positioned their PW-5's at Marfa for practice tasks. Crew gals Ann Byrd, Nancy Snead and Mimi McKnight relax in the shade of my picnic area next to my big hangar on Marfa Airport. My bermuda grass is...

Howdy from west Texas! You are invited to the World Class (PW-5 sailplane) US National Contest will be held at Marfa, Texas June 19-29, 2006. Several entry positions available. Register today at www.ssa.org Our June contest dates will see the ultimate soaring conditions at Marfa - high and dry....

Wanted: Movie film, photos, slides and memorabilia (programs / posters) of the Marfa US National contests of 1967 / 1969 / and the World Soaring Contest of 1970 that I may purchase or duplicate for my archives at Marfa, west Texas. Already have "The Sunship Game" from the 1969 Nationals. Thanks,

Relaying this message from Klaus in Germany offering a new trailer for sale at the SSA Convention JAN 31-FEB 4, 2006 at Arlington, TX Brand new "Swan-trailer" for sale. As we want to display it at the convention we can offer it for a very good price: Less than 10000 USD for a single seater...

"Robot Plane Can Find Thermals to Stay Aloft" (Oct 6, 2005) NASA engineers tested out a prototype unmanned sailplane this week at the Dryden Flight Research Center in California. This robotic aircraft is capable of detecting and using rising air thermals, similar to a glider or bird, to gain...

Hello from Marfa in southwest Texas, USA. The Schweizer 1-26 sailplane played a role in the early development of Marfa, Texas as a Landmark of Soaring. Neil Armstrong earned his Silver C here in his Schweizer 1-26 (prior to his longer XC to the moon), and Wally Scott made some very long XC...