The SSA Discover Soaring Scholarship is a grassroots effort to get young people acquainted with soaring. It is named after the first “utility” training glider in production, built for “air-minded youth” of the 1930s. The Cadet featured an enclosed fuselage and landing wheel, reasonable soaring performance yet rugged construction: an all-in-one beginner’s glider. On July 2, 1930, a Cadet made the first soaring flight from Harris Hill, Elmira, NY. Jack O’Meara’s one-and-a-half hours in the air cemented the choice of the site for the first National Glider Contest that Fall. The National Soaring Museum stands there today. Winners of scholarships and several smaller prizes are selected each year from young non-pilot applicants who visit a USA gliderport and make a good case for their desire to learn to fly, financial need, and promise in other aspects of life.
Event Series:
SSA Discover Soaring Scholarship
