P.O. Box 1510
Lancaster, SC 29721
Phone: (803) 475-SOAR
Fax: (803) 475-8958
Send Message
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Bermuda High Soaring School P.O. Box 1510 Lancaster, SC 29721 Phone: (803) 475-SOAR Fax: (803) 475-8958 Send Message |
| THE FACILITY
Bermuda High Soaring operates Wednesday through Sunday year round. The office opens at 10:00AM each operating day and closes at 5:00PM. Thermal soaring is the main type found at Bermuda High. Various soaring meets and special events are held throughout the year. VISITORS Bermuda High Soaring wholeheartedly welcomes visitors, including spectators. RV camping sites are available as well as limited overnight accommodations. Reservations are required for overnight stay at the glider field. GIFT CERTIFICATES For Christmas, birthdays, or other special occassions, give the gift of silent flight - a gift that will be remembered for a lifetime. Our attractively designed gift certificate for rides or instruction is available in any denomination and may be ordered either by mail or phone. Check, Master Card, or VISA accepted. GIVE AN ADVENTURE! |
Bermuda High offers training and introductory rides in several two seat tandem gliders. The person taking the ride sits in the front to enjoy the view and the FAA certified commercial glider pilot sits in the back seat of the dual controlled sailplane.How To Soar At Bermuda High Soaring SchoolFor those who have not been soaring, introductory rides or introductory instructional flights are available. An FAA certified commercial pilot or a flight instructor will take you on a flight you will remember for the rest of your life. To ensure the availability of a plane for your soaring adventure please call for reservations.Sailplane Introductory Ride - towed by a powerful tow plane to 2500 feet (Or we will tow on up to 3000 feet if there is no sign of thermal lift) to ensure that you enjoy approximately 20 minutes of soaring fun! Our pilots love to soar and they will be most happy to introduce you to a thermal if nature so cooperates! - $45 Instructional Introductory Flight - towed to 3500 feet with a FAA certified flight instructor accompanying you in the back seat who will actually give you a flight lesson in a glider. Learn what it is like to follow the tow plane in formation flight, make turns in the sky using your rudder and aileron controls. This flight is approximately 25 minutes of sailplane flight instruction. - $65 Mile High Introductory Ride - towed to 5000 feet above the ground for a spectacular view of sky and the South Carolina countryside. This is our highest and longest ride lasting approximately 30 minutes. - $90 The sailplanes used for rides are made to be very light weight. They are actually planes with very long wings and streamlined fuselages or bodies. It is the wings that allow the planes to fly - not the engine! Sailplanes are FAA certified aircraft. There is a passenger weight limit of 235 pounds. Updrafts from sun-heated earth surfaces such as parking lots, plowed fields, large barren construction sites, or metal buildings are the energy source used by the sailplane to stay aloft and even climb to a higher altitude. Heat rises and with it the sailplane, given the pilot has the skill and knowledge to use the updrafts or thermals to the best advantage. Wind is not the energy source that keeps the sailplane aloft. Sailplanes fly in clear weather. A nice day to be outdoors is a nice day to fly! Don't forget to bring your camera or small video camera! Bring a picnic to enjoy in the airplane-shaped Gazebo after your flight. Flights are offered Wednesday through Sunday. |
The Beginner Training CourseThe school provides the opportunity to learn to soar under the guidance of fully qualified FAA certified flight instructors. This course is taught on an individual basis and is designed to fullfill all of the requirements for FAA certification. It is for the person who has little or no experience in flying a sailplane or power plane. A student may solo a sailplane at age 14 and obtain a private certificate at age 16. The average student will solo after 30 to 35 dual flights with an FAA certified flight instructor. This will be done in 8 lessons, each approximately 2 hours long. The first five lessons will consist of 3 three thousand foot tows. The last threelessons will consist of 5 or 6 flights to one thousand feet. To satisfy the FAA requirements for his/her private pilot glider certificate the student pilot must accumulate 7 hours of solo flight time and have at least 20 solo flights. He/she must pass an FAA written test. Finally, the student pilot must have a recommendation flight(s) from an instructor and a check ride, including an oral exam with an FAA pilot examiner. Reservations are required.(230 lbs max. weight)Beginning Sailplane Course - Approx. Cost To Solo (approx.)...........................$1,300 From Solo to private rating (approx.)....... 500 Books and Materials......................... 100 Recommendation check ride................... 300 Total.......................................$2,200 The Power Pilot Transition CoursesThese courses are designed for the person who already has a private pilot certificate or higher rating in fixed wing aircraft. The average pilot will solo after 5 to 10 dual flights. After solo the pilot must complete 10 solo flights to satisfy the FAA requirements for a private rating or 20 flights for a commercial rating. The pilot must also have a recommendation flight(s) from an instructor and a check ride, including an oral exam from an FAA pilot examiner. These courses can be completed in two to three days. Some precourse study is required. Please call for details.A CURRENT MEDICAL IS NOT REQUIRED. (230 Ibs. max. weight) Licensed Power Pilot Transition Courses - Approx. Costs Check out through solo (usually 5-10 dual flights) (approx.).......................................... $300 From solo to PRIVATE pilot sailplane rating including check ride (approx.)...................... 550 From solo to COMMERCIAL pilot sailplane rating including check ride (approx.)...................... 850 Books & materials for either course................... 50 Total Costs for PRIVATE Transition.................... $900 Total Costs for a COMMERCIAL Transition...............$1200 |
 Bermuda High Soaring School maintains a suitable balanced fleet of sailplanes to satisfy the experience level of most soaring pilots. All pilots coming to Bermuda High Soaring Glider Field will be required to satisfy the chief flight instructor that he/she is familiar with the field and local flying regulations. Advanced training courses include commercial and flight instructor ratings.Sailplane Rental Min. per Flight Per Hour SGS 1-26.....................6.25.............25.00 SGS 2-33.....................7.50.............30.00 ASK 21......................11.25.............45.00 Flight Instruction............7.50.............30.00 Ground Instruction.............N/A.............30.00 Tow Fees 1000 feet.....................................18.00 2000 feet.....................................26.00 3000 feet.....................................34.00 X-C Retrieve per hour (minimum 40.00).........75.00 Call, Write or Visit for Membership, User's & Other Fees Open Wednesday through Sunday (Year Round) FAA FLIGHT EXAMINER ON STAFF |
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Bermuda High Soaring School is a flight training facility totally dedicated to promoting all aspects of the sport of soaring. Originally started in 1963 by Mr. Stan Hoke in Chester, SC, and, since 1986 owned by Frank and Jayne Reid, Bermuda High has grown to be the largest soaring operation east of the Mississippi. Beginning in 1988, the FAA designated areas near Chester protected airspace in which sailplanes could not fly, severely limiting operations. So, in 1991, after a three year search, a new site for Bermuda High Soaring School was found. Land was purchased in Lancaster, SC and construction began on a 4,000 foot grass runway, a new clubhouse and a hangar. The initial construction was completed in the spring of 1992. The new site is privately owned and totally controlled by sailplane pilots, thereby ensuring an environment at Bermuda High Soaring School which is one hundred percent dedicated to SOARING FUN.