What is it?

Each summer in the USA, several national and regional gliding contests take place. All the races are sanctioned by our national organization, the Soaring Society of America.

This year, the "Open and Standard Class Nationals" will be held at the Hobbs Industrial Airpark (NM83) in Hobbs, New Mexico. Hobbs is also the headquarters of SSA.



The contest will run for ten days, June 29 through July 8, 2010.

The competition will be held in two classes, Open and Standard. Open Class gliders have a weight limitation, but no restrictions on shape or size. The largest racing gliders in the world comprise the Open Class. The Standard Class consists of gliders of limited wingspan (15 meters), and a few other physical limitations. The two classes will be scored separately. In effect, there will be two independent competitions taking place at the same time and location.

All Standard Class and most Open Class gliders are flown solo. A few Open Class gliders have two seats.

An entry consists of a glider, a pilot, and one or more members of the ground crew. If the pilot lands away from home, then the crew drives the trailer to the landing place, helps disassemble the plane, and brings it and the pilot back in time for the next day's flying.

Gliders are raced by seeing who can fly the fastest all day long, over distances as large as 400 miles. Points (up to 1000 per day) are awarded for speed. Whoever has the most points after ten days is the winner.

Gliders are identified visually and on the radio by their "Contest ID," a unique two or three digit alphanumeric painted on the aircraft. Quite often the Contest ID is the pilot's initials.