Rideau Valley Soaring
7501 Dilworth Road K0A 2E0 Ottawa, ON, Canada

Here's a video of the short but great season we were able to have at Rideau Valley Soaring in 2020. We may not have set any new records, but we sure did have a lot of fun, and we're certainly grateful for the season we had! https://youtu.be/xN1jcJl4rwc

Ground school is a mandatory requirement for a Glider Pilot License (exempt if you already have a power rating). The 2021 Ottawa Gilder Pilot Ground School will begin Tuesday January 5, 2021, and runs until March 11th. For more information, and to register, check out this link: https://rvss.ca/index.php/ground-school

The 2020 season wrapped up on Sunday as the last of the gliders were put away, along with the tow plane.

It was "spooky" how much lift there was on the afternoon of October 31st. Mind you, it was also cold, and yet, the thermals were there. Here's a shot of the frost on the club 1-34. Also a shot of the gliders waiting for a tow once the lift had started. Many gliders have been put into their snuggly resting places for winter. Of the club gliders, only the ASK-21 remains rigged, and it will be put away next weekend. The season is coming to an end.

On Saturday some folks worked together to give the LS4's wings a much needed waxing. The clouds looked amazing, and so some folks went for some soaring flights. With an approaching storm on the horizon, the day was cut short and so folks came back. Isn't the Libelle a beautiful glider, coming in with a backdrop of fall foliage? Is a 1-35 air-braking with full flaps (as it has no spoilers) a bit disconcerting to watch? While somewhat pointed at the ground, it's not strict...ly heading in that direction, but still moving forward and settles down nice and slow. The storm skirted us to the south, so we were able to put things away and not get wet. I wonder if we'll have any more great days to fly in October before the snow comes?

The pinnacle of the club’s fleet is the LS-4, and today Phil had his first flight in it. Congrats!

A chilly and sunny Thanksgiving Sunday!

It was not a soaring day, calm still air and with cloud cover in the morning. It was perfect for taking my father-in-law up for his first flight in a glider. When you're 89 years old, you still gotta have some fun, right? He had a great time, flying over fall colour forests and the textures of farm fields at harvest time. No lift, so it was over in 20 minutes, but it was a great 20 minutes. We still can't do intro-flights, so this fell under the category of being allowed to take up members of your household. Hoping more people can once again experience flights of discovery in 2021. Stay Safe!