Soaring Club Of Houston

The soaring bird has found a thermal or upward current of air, and is turning in circles to stay within the thermal and rise with it. For a pilot in a sailplane, it's the equivalent of a yachtsman finding a good stiff breeze that will take him where he wants to go.

Experience the Thrill

The exhilaration of harnessing these forces of nature helps explain the big growth in popularity of glider flying, or soaring, in the past decade. Virtually every state now has small airports, called gliderports or soaring centers, where enthusiasts take part in cross country competition or simply fly sailplanes on weekend pleasure flights. We are one such organization serving the Houston, Texas area.

Anyone Can Learn to Soar

The pleasures of this spectacular sport are available to everyone; you need no previous flying experience.

Soaring is a stimulating learning experience too. As you progress you'll be sharpening your coordination and judgment, your knowledge of the weather, and your ability to safely plan and prepare for increasingly challenging flights. You'll discover that soaring never goes stale, that no two flights are ever the same. The endless variety of weather conditions and the ever-changing clouds and atmosphere make each flight a totally new experience.

Sailplane pilots must be licensed by the FAA upon completion of their training. A written test is required of students with no other FAA ratings. Solo flight is permissible at age 14, with 16 being the minimum for obtaining the private glider license. The FAA requires no medical exam for glider pilots as is the case with other power ratings. Power pilots wishing to obtain their glider rating are required to make 10 solo flights (minimum) prior to the FAA test to add the private rating, and 20 solo flights (minimum) to add the commercial rating to a commercial power rating. No written exam is required.

It's Not Expensive

Initiation fees are $400 which includes a one-year membership in the Soaring Society of America (SSA), the SSA training manual, and a log book. Monthly dues are $30, and the charge for a tow to 2,000 ft. is $23. Glider rental rates are nominal. SCOH members share the enjoyment of soaring as well as the operational requirements of the club by means of a rotating field duty schedule which enables us to keep rates as low as possible. A more detailed rate structure can be found here.

Basic to Advanced Training is Available

SCOH encourages the continual development of its members with periodic cross country clinics and ground schools as well as field trips to other soaring sites for seminars. A club ship is available to qualified members for cross country flights and flights towards the FAI Soaring Badges which are earned for various individual pilot achievements. We have a number of pilots who have attained Diamond Awards for accomplishing distance/altitude gains.

We sponsor 3-day mini-contests on various holiday weekends, with students pairing up with experienced pilots in two-place club ships for cross country work in a low pressure environment.

Please feel free to call for additional information, or just come by the gliderport on a weekend for an introductory ride or just to visit our operation.

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