This is a purpose-built Catalina XC sailplane by Mike Ward with motor launch.
By Mike Bergerson
Flying at the AMA/LSF soaring Nats has been the highlight of my flying season for several years now. I spend two weeks camping and relaxing under the sunny/starry Indiana sky. I made it out after years of “next year, I’ll go next year.” Now, it's every year…because “Glider Camp” is awesome!
This year I rolled up to AMA HQ to grab my Nats News Badge and was pleasantly greeted by not only the past NatsNews editor, Clarissa Poston, but the current editor, Terry Dunn, with Lee Ray in tow. Lee and his son, Austin, flew in the trifecta a few years ago and Lee has now promised to participate “next year” (LOL!) and do live feeds of the festivities! Also present was Randy Gibson, the AMA Associate VP for my current state of residence, Minnesota. I never thought I'd run into and meet this amazing guy!
We discovered a mutual affinity for Spacewalkers when I mentioned I was building a Sig 1/3-scale model. I then learned about the gimongous (it's a word, really) Spacewalker built for and signed by Hazel Sig hanging in the entry of the HQ building. You just gotta look up! It's sooo cool!
So, what does this have to do with soaring? Nothing, everything, it’s simply about being with like-minded folks and sharing our love for our hobby and sport. I was simply having a blast my first 15 min on site!
So, with that, the start of the 2025 Soaring Nats begins July 16-18 with the Cross Country (XC) event at Monroe Central High School, just a few miles down the road in Parker City, Indiana.
It's a crazy bunch of sailplaners riding down the road in the back of the world famous “Country Cadillac” striving diligently for their LSF-required fly and return goals. The goals consist of 1K (kilometer), 2K and 10K requirements for certain LSF levels. The 10K goal is a tough requirement for Level 5, the top LSF level of soaring proficiency.
The concept is simple, launch either with a winch or motor (both are recognized as separate categories), climb as high as you can, then jump in the back of the pickup (oh so carefully), head down the road (only turning back at the designated point) and return with a spot landing.
Sailplanes for the task can be anything from a purpose-built cross country sailplane to your everyday sailplane. Remember, that they have to fly distance, making speed a desirable characteristic, so weight and size do factor in. Your old Unlimited Class sailplane will perform much better than a Radian cruising down the road.
The XC course is GPS-mapped through the gorgeous Indiana countryside past farms, corn and bean fields, trying to avoid large stands of overhanging trees that would block the pilot’s view of their sailplane. Pilots have spotters to aid in tracking the glider and the use of a vario (variometer) to help find lift along the course as needed.
A great way to acclimate to this exciting aspect of soaring is by going on a ride-along with a pilot and his spotter. Just being on the field with your friends, having fun and working together to reach some really cool milestones is priceless.
Ya gotta come out and see for yourself and hop in the “Country Cadillac” for a ride down the course. I will caution you, the grin on your face might become permanent. Blue Skies!
