Joining The Club

Come Fly With Us !

We're glad that you've had a chance to browse through our site. If you're interested in coming out to fly with us, please read on.

The Club:

Skyline Soaring Club, Inc. (SSC) is a private, 501(c7) non-profit organization that is dedicated to the enjoyment and promotion of the sport of soaring. SSC is an affiliate club of the Soaring Society of America (SSA) and everyone operating SCC equipment is required to have a current SSA membership. Some of our pilots are novice students who've just started in aviation. Some are expert pilots with decades of aviation experience behind them. We currently number around 85 members.

SSC is dedicated to training and advancing pilots beyond the basics of soaring. Whether this is your first flight or your thousandth, you're welcome in our midst.

The Introductory Membership Program:

The aim of our Introductory Membership Program is to help you learn more about soaring in general and Skyline Soaring Club in particular without a commitment to permanent membership. Introductory Membership lasts 30 days, and at the conclusion of which you can make an informed decision about whether you might want to join Skyline Soaring.

The program allows you to get a taste of soaring over one or several flying days during your 30 day membership. Then, you'll be better able to decide whether you want to pursue soaring as a sport, and whether you'd like to establish a regular membership with our club.

It is easy to join our Introductory Membership Program. And there are a couple options for you depending on your current Soaring experience.

OPTION 1 -- New to Soaring: Click on the followning link to purchase a FAST voucher and then contact the Membership Officer as described below. Don't forget to bring the FAST voucher to the field, it must be signed and given to the Duty Officer, or you will not be able to fly. SSA FAST Voucher

OPTION 2 -- Current Pilot looking for a club to join : For Pilots new to the area or looking for a Soaring club to join, and you have a current SSA membership (SSA Membership). We offer a 30 day Introductory Membership for $50.00.

After you have decided which option is for you... you'll need to contact our Membership Officer to schedule a weekend day to come out for an initial flight. The Membership Officer will notify the Duty Officer and schedule you for a day when a qualified glider flight instructor will be on the field. The Membership Officer will also answer any additional questions you might have about your visit. They can be reached at welcome@skylinesoaring.org

We also recommend that individuals who are interested in soaring learn a bit about the sport before they come out. For a list of some of the many online resources for Soaring on the Internet... click here: [Details]

If you would like to just come out and watch what goes on. We are generally active on any weekend you would like to be outside. Here are direction to the Front Royal Airport: [Directions to the airport]

When you get to the airport, ask for the Duty Officer. He'll get you an application and get you on the flight roster. We fly on a first come--first fly basis, so getting out early can help.

The fees are as follows: The cost of a introductory membership for someone with a current SSA membership is $50. If you use the FAST voucher, you will be given an SSA membership thru that process. Either option establishes you as a introductory member with SSC for a period of 30 calendar days from the date it's established. This allows you to rent club equipment and tows at regular club rates. Though flights vary in cost, a typical introductory training flight might cost around $45 (the tow to 3000 feet costs $32, plus the glider rental at around $15). All flight instruction is free.  All memberships, including introductory ones, also include a Soaring Pilot's Logbook in which to record your flights, and a short videotape produced by the International Gliding Council which can be used to show your friends what you've been up to!

During the 30 days that your introductory membership is active, you're welcome to come to FRR and fly again. The aim is to give you a good taste of Skyline Soaring's philosophy, safety procedures, operations and training. You can also get to know active members and can ask any questions he might have.

At the end of the 30 days, you can make an informed decision about whether you might want to join Skyline Soaring. And if you do decide to join before the 30-day introductory membership is up, the original $50 fee applies to the first year's dues.

Safety:
A primary Skyline Soaring principal is safety. Everyone plays a role in keeping our operation safe. During your introductory membership, you'll observe and be made a part of several standardized safety procedures. If you want to understand how or why something's being done, please ask. If you see anything that you wonder about, let us know. Safety is the responsibility of everyone on the field.

Club Membership:
Anyone interested in establishing a regular relationship with Skyline Soaring, please consult the Membership Officer directly.

During your time with us, you're bound to have many questions about soaring. Please ask. Again, welcome to our operation. We appreciate the opportunity to share this wonderful experience with you. And most importantly, Enjoy!!!

Gliders are sensitive to weight and balance, and the weight of those aboard does matter. If you weight more than 200 lbs, please let us know when you contact us for a first flight, so we can address the specifics on this with you personally.

Learning More About Soaring:

Before you come out, learn what you can about soaring. The more you know at the outset, the more you'll likely enjoy your visit and flight with us. Several good web-based resources follow:

1. Visit The Soaring Society of America (SSA) web site at SSA - What is Soaring.
   
2. Visit the York Soaring Association web site at York Soaring - What is Soaring.
   
3. Check out the Soaring web ring. Again, resources, photos, etc., abound. Found at http://www.soarwest.com/soarring.html