The Las Vegas Valley Soaring Association is a not-for-profit sport glider club dedicated to furthering the sport of soaring.
The current club has been in existence since 1988 and includes members from all walks of life and all levels of flight experience. In order to keep costs low, the club is operated entirely by the club members, who donate their time to ensure the smooth operation of all the club functions. The LVVSA is a Chapter of the Soaring Society of America, and membership in the SSA is required of all LVVSA members.
Members are expected to become involved in the complete operation of the club, from running the flight operations to maintaining the equipment. Each member, after a short familiarization period, may be assigned a duty dependent upon his or her skills and abilities. Flight duties such as flight instructors and tow pilots are assigned only after strict requirements are met to ensure that we have the best available.
The club currently owns a two-place Schweizer 2-33A, a two-place Blanik L-23, and a single place Schweizer 1-26D. We have a Schweizer 2-32 on lease-back for training and rides. We also own a Piper Pawnee tow plane. There are another 15 or so gliders that are privately owned by our members and the fleet continues to grow. The Southern Nevada area provides some of the best soaring conditions in the Southwest, and the club operates 52 weekends a year. The soaring experience at Jean varies with the season. We have good ridge soaring and wave flying in the winter months when the winds are from the SouthWest and strong thermal action from March to November with long cross-country flights possible from May to September. Many of the members have made cross-country trips exceeding 400 miles.
We are a club dedicated to furthering the sport of soaring and welcome all who share our interest or would like to learn in a cooperative club environment where the work and fun is shared by all.
Welcome
Flight Training
The Club has several FAA Certified flight instructors. Arrangements may be made with them, on an individual basis, to receive flight instruction from basic training to transition from power. A soaring library is maintained to enable the student to prepare for the FAA written exam and to provide many hours of enjoyable reading.
If you have little or no flying experience, you can probably expect to fly solo in 20-30 flights. If you are a power-transition pilot, it may take fewer flights.
To become a licensed glider pilot, you must take a written exam administered by the FAA (unless you have a power rating). Also required is an oral exam and a practical flight test administered by the FAA Flight Examiner.
The Las Vegas Valley Soaring Association is supported in three ways:
1. Member dues
2. Tow fees
3. Glider rentals
Member Dues: Dues are paid annually and are currently $60 per month for adults, $30 per month for Youth aged 22 or younger, with credit of up to 50% for work done at the Club. While there is no initiation fee, the first 12 months dues and the annual SSA dues must be prepaid at the time of application and are paid on an annual basis thereafter.
Tow Charges: Tows are currently $35 for a pattern tow, $1.50 per hundred up to 2000 feet and $1 per hundred feet after that.
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Glider Rentals: Click on the button below to read the rental rates for each glider. The 2-32 is currently available for LVVSA full members only. Pattern tow and rental fees will be charged for any simulated rope breaks.
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