Ephrata hosts soaring championships
Mark Adams/courtesy photo<br> National Soaring Championship contestant Tim Welles lands his Ventus 2Cx at Ephrata Municipal Airport during the soaring championships held in Ephrata.
EPHRATA — Glider pilots from throughout the country congregated at Ephrata Municipal Airport beginning June 30 to participate in the 2009 Soaring Society of America 18-meter National Soaring Championships.
The 18-meter National Soaring Championships are considered to be the most prestigious cross-country soaring contest in the country. The National Soaring Championships attract participants from throughout the United States to pilot state-of-the-art gliders.
The contest began June 30 and wrapped up July 9 with pilot Tom Kelley taking top honors with 7,845 points. Kelley beat out 24 other participants to claim the National Soaring Championship.
Kelley slid past Gary Ittner (7,782 points) for the top spot. Pilots earned points by completing each of the races’ requirements.
Participating pilots competed by flying in a series of daily tasks in a closed course. Courses were as large as 350 miles in length. Pilots were able to reach average speeds of more than 90 mph because of excellent soaring conditions in the Columbia Basin.
Gliders are capable of cross-country flights because pilots utilize rising columns of air to gain altitude to keep the glider in the air. Pilots can reach altitudes over 10,000 feet.
The 2009 National Soaring Championships were managed by the Seattle Glider Council.