Looking over a raised-relief map of the mountains surrounding Craig County in the clubhouse of the Blue Ridge Soaring Society, glider pilot John Molumphy tells me why Craig is the place for gliding around here.
“The abundance of lift, the beauty of the mountains, and the friendliness of the people,” he says simply.
Molumphy is from Roanoke and is a long-time society member, a 50-year old group with around 100 members. As he runs his fingers admiringly over the map, he says,
“We get three types of lift: ridge, wave, and thermal. When conditions are right, we can soar amazing distances – over 600 miles – and to incredible heights – over 20,000 feet.”
I sign waiver forms, pay the tow fee ($30) and am strapped into the front seat of a tandem sailplane. A tow plane, formerly a crop duster, pulls the rope attached to the front of our plane and we are airborne. At the proper altitude, we release the towrope, and we then sail free.
The topography near New Castle is grand, with ridge upon ridge before us. We head west towards the ridgeline of Sinking Creek Mountain where John hopes we can find some updrafts from the southerly winds.
Soaring! What a wonderful feeling!
We occasionally catch a mild upswell, but the conditions are poor for sustained flight. We gradually lose elevation and land too soon.
But Molumphy and other members invite me back.
“You won’t wear out your welcome,” he says. “We always enjoy sharing our sport with newcomers. We were all newcomers once.”
