With the recent release of the second Top Gun film, aviation has soared back up in the ranks of media attention and public interest. Thankfully for residents of Greene County, getting involved with aviation has become easier than ever with the arrival of the Pittsburgh Soaring Association to the Greene County Airport last fall.
In 1964, the Pittsburgh Soaring Association began when a bunch of glider enthusiasts decided to get together and practice soaring out of the Bandel airport. Today, the organization still serves as a home for glider enthusiasts to practice their beloved craft and teach the sport of soaring.
“The idea is to stay up in the air as long as possible,” said Bill Heilmann, president of the association. “Anybody can be towed up to an altitude and just glide back down, but staying up for extended periods of time is what you try to achieve.”
Heilmann has been a member of the association for six or seven years. He now heads the organization of about forty members with varying experience in gliding. The association proudly welcomes beginners and encourages anyone interested in aviation to show up for an orientation ride and join them at events. They often team up with other aviation organizations in the area such as Support Our Aviation Resources (SOAR) and the Greene County Flying Club, which all share Greene County’s airport. The association varies from the other local aviation organizations in their focus on gliders instead of powered flight, but they all advocate for overall aviation education.
“The county welcomed them with open arms,” said Mike Belding, Chairman of the Greene County Commissioners. “I think our airport is underutilized for the availability of time and space so it was a good fit. It was also different aviation wise, drawing new spectators and other enthusiasts that want to glide instead of being in a powered aircraft. “
After primarily operating out of Bandel airport for most of its lifetime, the association decided to move to less congested airspace. Gliding in the same busy airspace as powered flight can be particularly dangerous since gliding involves up-and-down movements, differing from the straight-level flights of power aircraft. Now, the gliders enjoy the significantly less air traffic from their season’s start in April to its conclusion in October on Saturdays and Sundays. Currently, the association sports three gliders and one tow-plane: a L23 Super Blanik, an AC-4C Russia, a Grob 102, and a Piper Pawnee. Some members also use their own gliders.
“We’re enthusiastic about the opportunity the airport presents to Greene County students, residents, aviation hobbyists, or people looking for a potential career path in civilian or military aviation,” added Belding, a previous U.S. Marine helicopter pilot himself. “Aviation is one of the career paths where you can live somewhere and work anywhere else.”
Since there is a predicted future shortage of thousands of pilots, now is the perfect time to learn the craft. Those interested in taking their first step toward aviation should check out pghsoar.org or come talk to members of the organization at the airport’s free aviation days on August 20 and 21 this year where vintage World War II aircrafts will also be on display. The Greene County Flying Club also usually puts on a ground school once a year where students learn all about the ground educational aspect of aviation such as the planes, aerodynamics, physics, gravity, how to talk on the radio, and related skills. SOAR meetings also occur once a month and welcome anyone who simply wants to talk about aviation.