Team Press Room

Soaring flight has captured the human imagination throughout the ages. The sport of soaring has many varied story angles including local clubs, dramatic contests, high technology, human interest, historical and international championship possibilities. The thrill of victory and agony of defeat are very much a part of competitive soaring.

The Team Press Room puts all the resources you need to develop factual coverage of the exciting sport of soaring from an insiders viewpoint with an emphasis on United States soaring teams and competitive soaring.

Use the Team Press Room to Promote Soaring
The NEWS section covers the latest team Press Releases. In BACKGROUND find in-depth reference information on the sport and competitive soaring. The CALENDAR provides a listing of upcoming international events while the PRESS CLIPPING ARCHIVE provides examples of successful print media coverage.

A critical goal of the new Press Room is to provide the soaring community with the tools needed to promote the sport locally. Beyond directing media to this resource for background on soaring the PRESS KIT TEMPLATES section provides examples of media materials than can be downloaded by the soaring community for use in promoting the sport locally.

 

July 25 - August 6, 2007
FAI 4th Women's WGC
15-Meter, Standard, Club
Bailleau, France

 

July 28 - August 11, 2007
FAI 5th Junior WGC
Standard, Club
Rieti, Italy

 

Jly 26 - Aug 9, 2008
30th World Soaring Championships
Luesse, Germany

World Soaring Championships
Jly 27 - Aug 10, 2008
Rieti, Italy

START HERE! 
These background pieces provide a concise fact filled resource on soaring.

Sailplanes & Gliders
What's is a sailplane? This is your place to find out! (PDF 491kb)

Soaring Competitions
An insiders look at soaring competitions. (PDF 655kb)

U.S. Teams and World Gliding Championships
Background on United States Soaring Teams and World Gliding Championships. (PDF 332kb)

History of Soaring
A concise historical look at the critical role of gliders and soaring. (PDF 480kb)

Soaring FAQ
Glider or Sailplane? Find the answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions about soaring. (PDF 500kb)

Several examples of soaring and team related print media coverage... Click heading to download in PDF.

Automobile Field Guide
On a wing and hot air, coverage of the 2001 Open Nationals. (PDF 1.9mb)

Distinct, Westlake
U.S. team pilot Ron Tabery has his head in the clouds. (PDF 2.6mb)

LM Aero Star
Glider champion preparing for international glider competition. (PDF 58kb)

Pacific Northwest Aviation & Business Journal
Northwest sailplane racing pilots selected for U.S. team to compete in Germany.
(PDF 184kb)

Lubbock Avalanche Journal
Coverage of the 18-Meter and Sports Nationals in Lubbock, Texas. (PDF 141kb)

Dalhart Daily Texan
Local club uses team media resources to generate coverage of soaring camp. (PDF 1.3mb)

Uvalde Leader News
Tow pilots carry the load. (PDF 153kb)

All media examples used with permission.

Use these templates to create your own media releases to promote the sport locally.

Press Release Template
An example of what a Press Release should look like including tips on how to write one. (Word 41kb)

Press Release Example
An example of a club oriented press release. (Word 34kb)

Direct the media to this site and/or create your own media kit by print the background pieces.

Soaring has an almost magical quality for most people. The thought of flight without an engine seems to stretch the limits of imagination. Effortlessly soaring through the sky in silent flight unencumbered by an engine makes the sport a compelling endeavor. There is no more challenging or rewarding aviation activity. Soaring pilots routinely climb thousands of feet in altitudes, soar hundreds of miles and stay up for hours using only their knowledge of nature’s hidden forces and the refined technology of their craft.

Modern soaring is a nexus of technology, art, nature and drama. High performance sailplanes are typically constructed using advanced composite materials and utilize highly refined aerodynamics and instruments to maximize performance.

While sophisticated instrumentation can track a soaring pilot’s progress around a course and make it possible to use nature’s forces efficiently, it is an understanding of natures hidden atmospheric forces and the skill to exploit them that separate sailplane pilots from other pilots.

Competitive soaring is the highest expression of the sport. Every year soaring pilots from around the nation come together to compete for the titles of Regional and National Champion. These events are tough, with all the human drama, intrigue and competitive challenge of more widely recognized sporting events. The best pilots are selected by the Soaring Society of America to represent the United States at World Soaring Championships.

World Soaring Championships are international events that stand as the highest expression of competitive soaring with pilots from around the world racing to determine a champion of champions. From relaxed local club soaring on a summer afternoon to the aggressive and often hart breaking quest to become world or national champion the sport of soaring has something for everyone.

Please see the Background section for a full description of the sport...

Soaring Society of America

U.S. Team Photo Gallery

Calendar of Nationals and World Championships

Click to follow links