Soaring with
the eagles
CLERMONT
Gliders take to the air in annual competition
ROXANNE BROWN | Staff Writer
roxannebrown@dailycommercial.com
Bob Spitz, 71, of Bradenton spent all of last week soaring with the eagles -- flying with wings outstretched in his glider, searching the sky for thermals and working towards staying in the air.
Thermals, or patches of rising hot air, keep the engineless gliders aloft after they're towed about 2,000 feet up into the skies by motorized tow planes.
The more clear skies and white fluffy -- or cumulus -- clouds the better, since that would indicate a higher likelihood that thermals are present.
Spitz said that birds are actually a big help, as they too are looking for thermal-rich areas to gain maximum lift.
"We get to fly with the soaring birds, like the bald eagles and the buzzards, and they can help us sometimes. If there are birds around the clouds, that's a good sign. Birds are our friends."
On March 16, the sky over the Lake Seminole Gliderport near County Road 561 was filled with both soaring birds and gliders.
The birds were curious, and could often be seen flying behind the silent planes as they went up on day five of the 22nd annual Senior Soaring Championships, a national competition sanctioned by the Soaring Society of America.
Each year, the competition serves as the start of the season, and older pilots from all around the nation and Canada, travel to South Lake to participate.
"All the guys are very high ranked, strong pilots," said Seminole-Lake Gliderport Operations Manager Andreea Alexandrescu.
"Some of them are on the U.S. gliding team, and are starting here in preparation for this year's contest to be held at the end of July or beginning of August in Uvalde, Texas."
Each day, a different task was assigned,with contestants being judged on time and distance.
The gliders are towed to an altitude of 2,000 feet by an airplane before being released to glide freely at around 55 to 60 mph. The gliders are equipped with GPS devices that track their locations and speed every four to six minutes. The pilots use thermals to keep them aloft and on course, and earn points for hitting tasks in the quickest time possible.
Pilots do not receive speed points unless they land at the starting point, completing the course.
The points from each day's task are tallied, and the entire week's cumulative points determine the winner of the competition.
Victor Almeida, a Clermont resident who, for the past seven years, has visited the gliderport during the competition, said watching the gliders circle just before the start of competition is his favorite part of the day.
"It's really a beautiful sight," Ameida said.
Friday, March 23, 2012 - www.dailycommercial.com/032312soar