Enthusiasts to descend on Methow for week of soaring
Glider enthusiasts make their annual stop in the Methow Valley June 23-29, to hone their soaring skills and engage in friendly competition.
While the sight of gliders gracing the Methow skies is typical this time of year, the “Methow State OLC camp” is a brand-new event, said Brad Pattison of the Seattle Glider Council. Pilots had been bringing their sailplanes to Twisp Airport in recent years. The “OLC” or online contest camp will be held at Methow Valley State Airport on Twisp-Winthrop Eastside Road.
The state airport is larger and can accommodate more gliders and tow planes, Pattison said. Up to 20 gliders and three tow planes will be at the event.
The Methow Valley is a favorite destination for members of the Glider Council, many of whom reside in the Seattle area. The council is based at Ephrata Municipal Airport.
“The Methow Valley is uniquely suited for really good, beautiful cross-country flights,” Pattison said. “The thermals and the air currents that are generated by the hills and mountains around the valley make for really excellent gliding.”
The valley also has built-in safety advantages. When the lift from updrafts starts to fail, pilots have a downhill route to the airport from almost every direction. In a pinch, pilots can opt for a landing at the Lost River or Twisp airports. A soft landing in one of the valley’s many hay fields isn’t bad as a last resort, either.
In that case, according to glider pilot etiquette, the farmer gets a steak dinner, Pattison said.
“If you land on somebody’s property, you take care of them,” he said.
With good thermals, pilots can stay in the air for six hours or longer, ranging from Washington Pass or the Canadian border to the Columbia plateau, and then back to the valley. Pilots may opt to submit their flight data so it can be scored according to a complicated algorithm involving altitude gain, distance and time traveled, and other factors.
The curious are welcome to drop by the airport to see what’s happening, but Pattison warned that the Glider Council will have no accommodations for the public, and no safety barriers will be in place.
Chances are, valley residents will only need to look up to spy a sailplane in flight.
