For more info on earning glider badges. http://ssa.org The FAI Silver Badge involves 3 required elements. Silver Altitude is a 1,000-meter (3,281-foot) altitude gain above an in-flight low point; Silver Duration is a 5-hour flight time after tow release and Silver Distance is a 50-km (31.07-mile) straight-line flight after release with no more than a 1640' altitude loss (1% rule) Glider Club http://texassoaring.org located in Midlothian Texas which is about a one-hour drive south from Dallas Texas. Flying a glider/sailplane on a cross-country flight. http://www.texassoaring.org: This link for more info on the club: This glider only costs $21 per hour to fly. This video is about flying gliders and sailplanes including cross-country flying at Texas Soaring Association (TSA) located in Midlothian Texas which is one hour drive south of Dallas Texas. This video is about flying gliders and sailplanes including cross-country flying at Texas Soaring Association (TSA) located in Midlothian Texas which is one hour drive south of Dallas Texas. General characteristics: PW-5 • Crew: One • Length: 6.22 m (20 ft 5 in) • Wingspan: 13.44 m (44 ft 1 in) • Height: 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) • Wing area: 10.2 m2 (109.8 ft2) • Aspect ratio: 17.71 • Empty weight: 190 kg (419 lb) • Gross weight: 300 kg (661 lb) Performance • Maximum speed: 220 km/h (140 mph) • Maximum glide ratio: 32 • Rate of sink: 0.65 m/s (128 ft/min) The Texas Soaring Association (TSA) is a non-profit corporation devoted to motorless flight. Established in 1947, the club is located 15 minutes south of Midlothian, Texas, which is itself at the southern edge of the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The club is maintained and operated by the voluntary efforts of its more than 200 members. The club operates from its own airfield and owns six single and four two-place sailplanes, plus four Pawnee tow planes. TSA operates year-round on most flyable Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The club also operates on an unscheduled basis on other weekdays when the flying weather is really good! Why learn to fly gliders? The Wright brothers knew that the way to get into aviation was through gliders. Their experiments in design and practical application in flying gliders helped them to understand the complexities of powered flight. If you are new to aviation, learning to fly gliders provides basic skills valuable to any aviation pursuit. If you are an experienced pilot, you could join the rank of glider pilots such as Steve Fossett, Neil Armstrong, Chesley Sullenberger, and many other renowned aviators. Flying sailplanes may re-introduce you to the joy of basic flight which doesn’t require noisy, gas-guzzling engines or complicated technology to fly. #gliding #soaring #sailplane #glider #aviation #globalgliding #flying #gliderpilot #pilot #plane #sailplanepilot #asw20