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Team USA Report – WGC Day 4

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40th FAI World Gliding Championships

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thesoaringsociety

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May 18

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Here’s what’s happening this week:

For further details and a look at all upcoming events: https://www.ssa.org/events/

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May 14

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Throwback Thursday - Schweizer 1-35

This week we would like to share this ad from the February 1976 issue of Soaring featuring the 1-35.

Who here has some hours logged in a 1-35? Share your favorite memory below!

#TBT #Soaring #GliderPilot #VintageAviation #SoaringMagazine

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May 11

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May 7

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Throwback Thursday - The Swiss Banker

Back cover of Soaring magazine - June 1979 - "The Swiss Banker," a specially decorated Schweizer 2-33 designed for the thermals of Switzerland!

Who did their first solo in a 2-33? Share your favorite memories in the comments!

#Soaring #Gliding #AviationHistory #Schweizer #Sailplane #VintageAviation #SoaringSocietyOfAmerica

#TBT #Soaring #GliderPilot #VintageAviation #SoaringMagazine

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May 4

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Apr 28

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Safety Tip Tuesday: High Altitude, High Stakes

Flying high is a thrill, but it comes with a silent risk: Hypoxia. When your body doesn't get enough oxygen, your most critical tool—your brain—is the first thing to falter.

Here is what every pilot needs to keep in mind:

The Clock is Ticking: Your Time of Useful Consciousness (TUC) is the window you have to make rational, life-saving decisions before impairment sets in.

Altitude Matters: Above 10,000 feet, symptoms intensify while your TUC begins to vanish. The higher you climb, the faster your window closes.

The Solution: Immediate action is key. Descend to a lower altitude or switch to supplemental oxygen immediately to restore your levels.

This figure from the FAA's Glider Flying Handbook lays out the TUC at various altitude levels.

#SoaringSafety #GliderPilot #AviationSafety #FlightTraining #SafetyFirst #SSF #PilotSkills #FAAsafety

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Apr 27

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Apr 20

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Apr 16

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Throwback Thursday - The Vertical Windsock

Cartoon from the September 1970 edition of Soaring - Highlighting the potential for excellent soaring conditions expected at the World Championships held in Texas that year.

#SoaringHistory #SoaringSocietyOfAmerica #Sailplane #AviationHeritage #ThrowbackThursday

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Apr 13

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Apr 7

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Safety Tip Tuesday: The 3-P Model

To help pilots better apply the principles of Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM), the FAA adopted the 3-P Model (Perceive — Process — Perform). This three-step process offers a simple, systematic approach to accomplishing each ADM task during all phases of flight. To use it, you need to:

- Perceive the given set of circumstances for your flight. That means gathering all relevant information pertaining to your flight. This allows you to perceive the mission and the environment in which it will be flown. This step begins during preflight but continues throughout the flight.

- Process the information you gather, evaluate its impact on flight safety, and determine your best course of action. This analysis continues during the flight as you receive new information.

- Perform by implementing the best course of action. Performance results become information to be perceived and analyzed. Based on those results, pilots will decide whether to continue with the action or make a change.

The text above and the picture are from the FAA fact sheet on ADM.

https://f.mtr.cool/yzycmzymmo

#SoaringSafety #GliderPilot #AviationSafety #FlightTraining #SafetyFirst #SSF #PilotSkills #FAAsafety

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Apr 2

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Throwback Thursday - Soaring History: 40 Years at Elmira

Take a look at the back cover of the December 1979 issue of Soaring magazine.

This commemorative ad from Schweizer Aircraft Corp. celebrates four decades in Elmira, New York—the "Soaring Capital of America." The Geoff Steele photo features a TG-2 Air Force Trainer soaring over the Chemung County Airport, with the iconic Schweizer factory visible just above the wing.

For many pilots, a Schweizer was the very first cockpit we ever sat in. Their legacy is woven into the fabric of American soaring, and this poster is a great reminder of the foundation they built for the sport.

Did you learn to fly in a Schweizer? Whether it was a 2-33, a 1-26, or a TG-2 like the one pictured here, share your favorite Schweizer memory in the comments!

#SoaringHistory #Schweizer #ElmiraNY #Sailplane #AviationHeritage #VintageAviation #GliderPilot #ThrowbackThursday