Question 1

Is soaring for me?

Accepted Answer

Challenge is the key word – to fly well, to use the capabilities of your aircraft to its utmost, and to make the most of the weather conditions of the day. The skies over Invermere are always changing and never boring. Your only limits are your own skill, desire, and initiative.

If you’re intrigued by the concept of motorless flight, interested in the weather, or just enthusiastic about aviation, fresh air and open spaces, then we know that you will find the sport of soaring — specifically at the Invermere Soaring Centre — both challenging and exhilarating for years to come.

Question 2

What is soaring?

Accepted Answer

Soaring is the most perfect expression of one’s dream to fly…

Soaring pilots use mother nature’s energy to gain altitude in a motorless aircraft, and translate that altitude into long-range flights and durations. Specific to Invermere, circling in Mountain Thermals (rising columns of warm air) allows the glider to ascend. Occasionally, there is also Wave — a fast-moving river of wind above the mountains that allows gliders to climb to high altitudes in smooth, river-like air.

So, how does a thermal form? In the mountains, the sun hits the dark rocks and valley bottoms and warms them. The air around these features is then warmed and must eventually go up. When there is enough lifting force, a thermal forms as the pockets of warm air ascend towards the cooler air above. The thermals here are influenced by orographic features, such as the ridges on a mountain, as well as the prevailing wind conditions.

“The morning has dawned bright and clear, and by 10 o’clock there are puffy white cumulus clouds popping everywhere. You strap into your elegant glider and check the controls and instruments. All OK, you give a thumbs up to your wing runner, who hooks the towrope to the towplane, and then you signal ‘all out’. It begins rolling and pulling you up into the air, and a few minutes later you’re at 3000 feet – time to release from your friendly towpilot. Now it’s just you, your sailplane, and the sky. Soon, a surge tells you that you’re gliding through a ‘thermal’, so you start circling and begin spiraling upwards at 600 feet a minute.”

So, now where? A trip along the Rockies up to Golden and down to the US border? Perhaps, on another day, you will visit the Purcells to the west of the Columbia Valley, fly above Jumbo Glacier and around the “Lake of the Hanging Glacier” – the view below and the clouds are extraordinary!

Question 3

How many people fit in a glider?

Accepted Answer

The glider fits one pilot and one passenger.

Question 4

Do I get to fly the glider? Which seat do I sit in?

Accepted Answer

On a scenic ride — Swansea, Rockies, or Purcell — you’re a passenger: your pilot handles the flying while you soak up the view.

On an Advanced Soaring flight (1.5 hours), you sit in the back seat of the Duo Discus and take the controls, working real mountain thermals right alongside your instructor — that’s our standard for a first visit, not a licensing requirement.

Want the front seat from the start? Ask about our K-13 Area Check, a front-seat flight with an instructor for licensed visiting pilots.

Question 5

What is the weight limit?

Accepted Answer

The weight limit for a passenger is 242 lbs.

Question 6

What does it take to learn?

Accepted Answer

The best entry into gliding is with an introductory flight to let you experience the joys of soaring for yourself. Try one, and if you find it to be the most fun you’ve ever had. Invermere is one of the premier gliding sites in the World.

It’s a safe sport; you only need to be 14 years of age to become a student, and just 14 as well to solo. There is no age limit for gliding. As long as you are fit – you can fly. We currently have two visiting pilots at age 74 and 80 which still enjoy gliding tremendously.

A fully qualified and experienced group of instructors will teach you everything you need to know. An average new student takes 40 to 50 flights of dual instruction to develop the experience and judgement to fly solo. If you are a licensed power pilot, you can transition in 10-20 flights depending on your stick and rudder skills.

Flying in Invermere runs May to September, depending on the weather.

Question 7

How high can I go? How far?

Accepted Answer

Invermere is known World wide for its excellent conditions for cross-country soaring, and many national records as well as one World record have been set from Invermere. Flights of over 500 kilometres are often completed by experienced pilots.

In June 2000, Trevor Florence flew a new World record, flying 638 kilometres in a club class glider. And middle of July 2000, visiting pilot Hans Binder from Switzerland flew a distance of 850 kilometres.

Although record breaking flights aren’t to be had by everyone of course, the simple pleasure of a couple of hours of local soaring up near the clouds is ample reward for a week on the job.

Question 8

What will it cost?

Accepted Answer

Soaring is the most enjoyable and affordable way to fly regularly, costing significantly less than power flight training, while being a lot more fun. The new student will fly fifty or so flights during the year to solo.

Costs include club membership, use of equipment, and membership in the Soaring Association of Canada. Depending on your present skills cost may vary for you to get your license – check the attached cost sheet – it’s cheaper than you think.

Question 9

Do you offer a “discovery flight” or “intro flight”?

Accepted Answer

Yes — some people call it a discovery flight, familiarization flight, or intro flight, but here we call it a ride. Our Swansea, Rockies, and Purcell rides are all introductory glider flights with a pilot, from a short first taste to an extended mountain tour.

Note: that's different from our Discovery Package, a $599 introductory training session (~60 minutes of flying) where you take the controls yourself under instruction — see Instructional Packages below.

Question 10

How far ahead should I book?

Accepted Answer

We fly one Duo Discus and one K-13, and flights run back-to-back on flying days, so seats are limited on any given day. Booking ahead is the best way to guarantee the ride and time you want.

Question 11

What if the weather isn’t good on my flight day?

Accepted Answer

Every flight is weather-dependent, and there’s no charge just for booking — your request holds a spot until a real person confirms it.

We get a reliable read on conditions about two days out. If the forecast turns, we’ll reach out to you directly, and rebooking to a better day is free and flexible.

The Premier Gliding Experience in the Canadian Rockies

SO YOU WANT TO GO FLYING?

Advanced Soaring

INSTRUCTION

INSTRUCTIONAL PACKAGES

Local Pilots, World-Class Skills

Charlie Pastuszka

Bryan Deans

Gordon Spurgeon

GETTING HERE

Invermere Soaring Centre

Everything You Need to Know

Current Weather