The member clubs of the Seattle Glider Council will present a glimpse into the world of silent flight at Soaring Expo 2010, slated for March 20-21 at The Museum of Flight in Seattle. On special display this year is the “Perlan Glider,” (pictured) which the late aviator/explorer Steve Fossett and test pilot Einar Enevoldson flew over Argentina to set a world altitude record for gliders — 50,671 ft. — in 2006.
Exhibits include full-size gliders and radio controlled gliders on display. Lectures, movies and presentations will be offered all weekend. Representatives of local soaring and RC glider clubs will be on hand to answer questions. Soaring Expo 2010 is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day, and free with admission to the museum or museum membership.
Programs include:
Saturday, March 20, 11 a.m.: “The Development and Flights of the LightHawk,” with Danny Howell, who will provide an update on the status and performance of the LightHawk sailplane.
2 p.m.: “U.S. Women in Soaring,” a presentation with Frauke Elber, one of the founders of the Women Soaring Pilots Association.
Sunday, March 21, 11 a.m.: “How to get out of your aircraft when …. happens,” with Master Parachute Rigger Alan Silver. In his distinctively funny and entertaining way, Silver will demonstrate how to get out of an aircraft when you really have to go. Silver offers an energetic, interactive presentation on all aspects of a bailout including mental attitude, preflight preparation, how to get out of your aircraft, deploying your parachute, and landing safely back on earth.
2 p.m.: “2061 Kilometers in the Sierra Wave.” In this new film, sailplane pilot Gordon Boettger describes his epic flight soaring in the winds flowing over the Sierra Nevada mountains, accomplishing the longest distance-flight outside of the Andes range in South America.
For more information: 206-764-5720 or MuseumOfFlight.org
