WSPA Seminar

WSPA SEMINAR WOMEN SOARING PILOTS ASSOCIATION NEVADA, USA

By Irena Raymond

Slovenian Irena Raymond is a member of the Women Soaring Pilots Association and hosted the first meeting of the association to be held in her country in 2009. In 2010 she attended the annual meeting in Nevada. SoaringNZ felt our women members needed to know more about this international association, which aims to promote all aspects of soaring for women glider pilots. Irena is the wife of Sunseeker designer Eric Raymond.

Women pilots from the United States, Canada and Europe attended a week of outstanding flying at the WSPA Soaring Seminar in Nevada. The seminar took place July 18th – 23rd 2010 at Air Sailing glider port, located about 45 minutes north of Reno, at an altitude of 4,400 feet above sea level.

This was the 32nd annual Soaring Seminar sponsored by the WSPA and was their second largest seminar ever. Altogether more than 70 people spent the week at the glider port. There were 44 active pilots, flying both local training sessions and long cross country flights. The experienced women pilots flew solo, while students and those less experienced enjoyed thermalling with the assistance of many kind instructors. The oldest lady attending the seminar was 82 and she still flies as an instructor.

The pilots’ main goal was to learn how to survive in the desert, with good decision making and adaptation to extreme conditions. Attendees had been invited to arrive a few days early to acclimatise to the

Photo Irena Raymond

Sylvia Geusen preparing the glider

altitude and to the extremely high temperatures. During the seminar women gained experience with cross wind takeoffs and landings, simulated rope breaks during the tow, different landing approaches, and a day of scheduled landouts on a dry lake bed.

Organisers also scheduled a program of classes including airspace around Reno International Airport, meteorology and a lecture about landing on dry lakes.

On the last two days of the seminar the women enjoyed a visit from the well known and respected soaring pilot from Omarama, Gavin Wills. He gave an excellent presentation about soaring in New Zealand.

Women Soaring Seminars started in 1979. WSPA was then established in 1986 with its main purpose to encourage women to fly. The association offers many scholarships to help women to start and continue soaring, including in competitions. The current membership exceeds 200 women pilots worldwide.

WSPA website address: http://www.womensoaring.org/

Photo Eric Raymond