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Hello and welcome!  

PSS is a nonprofit, all-volunteer club of about 50 plus members who love to fly gliders, and help each other attain our shared goal of flying safely while having fun. The club owns a Piper Pawnee aircraft for towing. We also have (2) different two place training aircraft and a single seat glider for solo flights.  

Tow pilots, instructors and helping club members are all volunteers and receive no compensation. We do this to promote the sport, foster the next generation of glider pilots and share our passion for flight. 

However, like many glider clubs, we have a shortage of Flight Instructors. This presents a challenge for new members and the club. While we don’t want to discourage anyone from joining, you must understand that we primarily operate on weekends during nice weather.  A glider club is by far the least expensive way to build experience and accumulate flight hours, but it is not the fastest way.

On any given weekend we may have multiple instructors or no instructors. Tow Pilots are also volunteers but are generally available on nice weather weekends. We are fortunate to have some dedicated and available tow pilots. Without their commitment a glider club simply cannot exist. In addition to providing instruction, the club offers private glider owners a place to get towed aloft and fly (sometimes for hours) by using thermals to climb and cruise. 

For those expecting to go from zero hours to a rated glider pilot the process here is not quick. In a volunteer club getting 40 to 60 flights before solo can take considerable time and then more time is needed to qualify for the certification process to become a private or commercial glider pilot. You will still enjoy all the benefits of participation while you learn and share your time with us, but we want you to be prepared for reality. Like any club we can use talented, resourceful folks in various ways, as it really does take a village to run a gliderport. We need to share multiple tasks among the members daily. If you just show up to fly, your experience will be far less than you hoped for. If you desire to obtain a glider pilot certificate or an add on rating to your certification in the shortest possible time without committing to the club, you will be much happier going to a commercial glider operation and moving through the requirements quickly. Moving quickly through training would be nearly impossible here. 

We sincerely hope that anyone who joins and flies here shares a common goal: flying safely and having fun doing it. 

We look forward to you becoming an important part of the Piedmont Soaring Society!

Mar 2026