About Our Club
The Adirondack Soaring Group is an organization of (80+) licensed glider pilots, power pilots, certified instructors, and student pilots that fly sailplanes at Saratoga County Airport. These aircraft are not tube and fabric hang-gliders but are rigid wing, fully certified sailplanes that can weigh 1,000 pounds or more. Sailplanes are towed aloft by a powered aircraft then released at approximately 2,000 feet. The sailplane flight can be as short as 15 minutes, but flights as long as 10 hours have been accomplished. The club currently has 8 FAA certified glider flight instructors, 3 FAA power flight instructors, and 8 towpilots.
Our Sailplanes
Sailplanes are unpowered aircraft, also called gliders, that rely on their aerodynamic design to stay aloft by utilizing rising air currents like thermals and ridge lift. They achieve long flights by efficiently converting altitude into forward distance, often to the point of becoming "slippery". While some versions use small engines for takeoff or to extend flights (motor gliders or sustainer gliders), the core principle is soaring using atmospheric lift.
Learn To Fly
Your first step in learning to fly a glider is to take an introductory lesson in a sailplane. That flight will introduce you to a world you have never known. And it is so exciting that you will want to explore it, to learn more about it and to become part of it. Accept that challenge and you are on your way to becoming a part of the world of glider pilots.
The Airfield
5B2 is the FAA identifier for Saratoga County Airport, a public-use airport located in Saratoga County, New York, near Saratoga Springs. The airport offers general aviation facilities and includes services for private jet charter, helicopters, and other aircraft. It has two runways, 5/23 and 14/32, with Runway 5/23 being 4,699 feet long.
About Our Club
Modern Fleet
The Adirondack Soaring Group owns six club sailplanes and three tow planes. As a member you have access to these ships, each of which has specific criteria you must meet in order to fly them from our field. Flights in club ships are typically limited to one hour in length, but two hours can be requested and given at the discretion of the days Flight Manager.
Many of the club members own a variety of single and dual seat high performance gliders, which can usually be found soaring the skies above the Saratoga County Airport (5B2).
Flying Season
Adirondack Soaring typically has flight operations at the Saratoga County Airport (5B2) from early March to late November, depending on the weather conditions and temperatures.
Fleet Maintenance
Fleet maintenance is performed during the off-season and throughout the active flying season as needed to assure that all aircraft, both club owned as well as private airplanes are at their absolute highest performamce and safety level.
Operations
As Adirondack Soaring Group operates as a club environment and not a commercial operation, therefore all members participate in ground operations, inspections, event management, set-up, hanger maintenance and cleaning as well as club operational respsonsibilities as needed.
About Our Fleet
Take an Intro Flight