Effective May 2, 2020  

Initiation fee

  • Applicants younger than 35 years of age
    • Initial payment with application $300. (Fully Refundable if application denied)
    • A second payment of $300 is due on the first anniversary of membership
  • Applicants 35 years of age or older
    • Initial payment with application $600. (Fully Refundable if application denied)
    • A second payment of $600 is due on the first anniversary of membership
  • Family Membership Fee is an additional $75

$600 (< 35 years)

$1,200 (35+ years)

Chicago Glider Club Regular Membership dues

  • Retired Membership dues are available; see the CGC By-Laws for details
  • Effective April 1, 2017 – Any member requesting retired dues after April 1, 2017 will pay 1/2 regular dues payable in two equal payments January and July
  • Current retired members keep the rate of ¼ regular dues payable in January

$39.50 per Month

 

$237 per Year

 

$118.50 per Year

Soaring Society of America (SSA) Membership (required) $80.00 per year
Chicagoland Glider Council Membership (required) $10.00 per year
   
Club Aircraft Rental Rates   
Discus CS (single-place) $30.00 per hour
Schleicher ASK-21 (multi-place) $30.00 per hour
Schempp-Hirth Duo Discus (multi-place) $30.00 per hour
Christen Husky (tow plane) $100.00 per tach hour
Piper Pawnee (tow plane) $100.00 per tach hour
   

Sailplane Rental Surcharge

  • For first 75 hours of club sailplane rental
  • The surcharge is in addition to the regular sailplane rental fee
  • Optionally, the member may pay a one-time sum of $300
$4.00 per hour
   
Aerotow Rates  
Hook Up Fee $17.00 per tow

Plus Each Hundred Feet of Tow(Minimum Tow 1000')

  • Example of charges for a typical 2,000 foot tow: $ 17.00 (hook up fee) + $ 18.00 (2,000 feet @ $0.90 /100 ft)
  • 1000'=$26.00, 2000'=$35.00, 3000'=$44.00
$0.90 per 100 feet
   

Aerotow Retrieve

  • Off Field Cross Country Tows: Rate equal to cost of one regular tow (2000') plus the hourly rental cost of the tow plane.
  • However, retrieve from Bushby, Joliet, Morris, Rileys and Sweedler only incur a charge of one 2,000 foot tow.
 
   

Field Use Fee

  • Owners of privately owned sailplanes are charged a Field Use Fee of $216/year, charged at $18/month.  
  • Winter Hangar Storage is available for a limited number of sailplanes stored in a trailer for an additional $160 for the winter season.  
  • Motor home storage is available for $240/year or $40/month.
 

The Chicago Glider Club prefers to trust the individual pilot's judgment in contrast to generating a number of definitive rules. However, the following policies are expected to be followed:

 

Aerotow Procedures

FAR 91 .309(a)(5) requires that before conducting aerotow operations, the pilots of the towing aircraft and the glider "have agreed upon a general course of action, including takeoff and release signals, airspeed, and emergency procedures for each pilot."

Chicago Glider Club pilots have tacitly agreed to such procedures through Club practices, safety seminars, and discussions with tow pilots and glider pilots, thus not delaying towing while such matters are discussed before each flight.

To ensure compliance with the applicable regulation, and to make sure that everyone is following the same procedures that govern CGC towing operations, whether such operations occur at CGC Field or on retrieve from another location, these procedures are set out below.

Should other procedures be more appropriate, any variance will be agreed upon by both tow pilot and glider pilot prior to commencing such tow, or by radio when airborne. Responsibility for determining the appropriate procedures remains with the pilots involved, based on their review of the relevant circumstances.

  1. The standard signals for ground and on-tow operations arc those listed in the SSA Soaring Flight Manual, and will apply. Each member has reviewed these signals, is familiar with them, and will use them.
  2. The glider pilot is responsible for arranging for a wing runner, if one is to be used, and for briefing the wing runner as necessary for safe operations.
  3. Unless directed otherwise by the glider pilot, the tow pilot will tow the glider until it releases, or until 3,000 feet AGL is reached. Upon reaching 3,000 feet AGL, the tow pilot will level off and wait for the glider pilot to release or for an instruction from the glider pilot. The glider pilot will inform the tow pilot, either by ground signal or radio prior to or after takeoff, of any variance from this procedure that he or she desire(s).
  4. The glider pilot will advise the tow pilot prior to takeoff or by radio if a tow to a specific location or if maneuvering outside the normal high-tow position is intended.
  5. Tow airspeeds will not be less than 60 knots (70 mph) for fiberglass gliders and 55 knots (65) mph) for other gliders.
  6. The glider wing will not be raised until the glider pilot signals ready for takeoff.
  7. The following emergency procedures will apply:
  • ...    In the event of a power failure while the tow plane is on the ground or at an altitude from which an immediate landing on the takeoff runway is possible, both glider pilot and tow pilot will attempt to release, the tow plane pilot will attempt to move to the left side of the runway and the glider pilot to the right side.
  • ...    In the event the tow plane pilot notices something is wrong with the glider, such as the spoilers are open, he/she will advise the glider pilot by radio and continue the tow to at least 2,000 AGL (if possible) while returning to over or near the glider field prior to signaling the glider pilot to release.
  • ...    In the event any other emergency or distracting occurrence arises while in flight that makes aerotow difficult or impossible (such as canopy opening, instrument malfunctions, or the like), the tow pilot will attempt to reach a safe altitude so as to increase the time available to deal with the problem.

CHICAGO GLIDER CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS           Revised: April 12, 2015

 

Use of Club Sailplanes for Cross-Country Flights

POLICY:

Use of club gliders for cross-country flying by qualified members is strongly encouraged.

For cross country flight, "qualified" means a member must not only be capable of conducting the flight competently, but he must have ensured that he has a capable retrieve crew in place, whether by aerotow or trailer. (See the guidelines below.)

Each pilot is the judge of his/her competence to attempt a given cross-country flight. However, a member should seek counsel of a club instructor who has cross-country experience before attempting his/her first few cross-country flights. Failure to do so would indicate poor judgment.

Please see the Glider Reservation Policy for the details of reserving a glider for cross- country flights.

REQUIREMENTS:

The board has established these minimal requirements:

  • Though no minimum flight time in a specific club glider is required, a pilot shall have made a minimum of three tows and landings in that glider before he/she may use it for a cross country flight. This requirement stands regardless of the member’s other experience.
  • The pilot is required to advise another club member, at the club site, of the intention to fly a cross-country flight on that day. A note on the wall near the sign-up board will notify others the glider may be unavailable the rest of the day.
  • Gliders returned to the field on the trailer shall be assembled and hangared appropriately and the trailer returned to its appointed spot and tied down properly.

GUIDELINES:

If you plan to have an aerotow back from a landing at another airport, you shall arrange to have a willing tow pilot available for the retrieve.

Since an outlanding is possible, you shall:

  • Be able to conduct the assembly and disassembly as well as trailer loading and hookup. You are expected to have actually done it, preferably more than once.
  • Prior to departing on a flight, arrange for the correct trailer and adequate, compatible tow vehicle. Good judgment would insist this combination be tested to ensure all components such as lights, tires, trailer hitch, etc., are in operating condition. The retrieve crew must know the location of the keys to the car.
  • Recruit a crew capable of retrieving you. For the 2-place sailplanes, more than one crewperson should be recruited. The crew must be able to find, identify, hook up, and bring the correct trailer and all pieces of necessary gear to the retrieve site. Also, you should have necessary maps and charts as well as a communications method (cell phone, radio, etc) in the tow vehicle to ensure directions to the landing site can he passed to the crew.

CHICAGO GLIDER CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS           Revised: March 2, 2006

 

Reservation of Club Sailplanes

  1. Club gliders are reserved on the board located near the clubhouse door on the south wall of the hanger. The board is marked with time slots for each glider.
  2. Glider reservation is on a "first come-first served" basis. The first member to sign up has their choice of time slots. It is not allowable to reserve multiple time slots (except as allowed by the cross-country policy). After landing from the first flight, any open slots are then available for reservation. Time slots may not be reserved on any previous day, unless the board has approved taking the glider away from our field (to a contest, for example).
  3. A club member may not reserve consecutive time slots on any one glider for local flying. Two individual club members (but not two members of the same family membership) flying a two-place glider may reserve consecutive slots and need not land between slots.
  4. The time period between slots is intended for transfer of the glider to the next user. Each user must have the glider on the runway by the end of their reserved time slot so that the next user can be ready for tow when their time slot begins.
    • a) If the previous user runs into your time slot, you have been wronged. By all means discuss it with him or her, but your time is still up at the end of your time slot.
  5. Quite often, the glider usage is not heavy. Notwithstanding all of the above, you may fly as long as you like, provided that you can determine that no one wants the glider. It is fair to make a radio call and have someone at the clubhouse check for you, but it is your responsibility to be sure that no one is has signed up for the glider you are flying. If you can't verify that no one has signed up for the glider, then you must assume that someone has and land before your time is up.
  6. All of the gliders now have radios and we need to keep the base station active whenever anyone is flying. Likewise the glider radios should be on while you are flying. If you sign up for a time slot while someone else is in the air, it is courteous to contact him or her by radio to let them know that you will be waiting.
  7. The Discus CS, the Duo-Discus and one ASK-21, may he reserved for cross-country flights by writing your name and "Cross Country" down the time slot column through the time for which you plan to fly. Please refer to the Cross-Country Policy to insure that all responsibilities for cross-country flights have been fulfilled. Only one of the two-place ASK-21 gliders can be signed up for cross-country at a time.
  8. Cross-country flights can be SSA/FAI Badge flights, record attempts, NISC race flights or flights away from the glider club field chosen to be appropriate for the skill level of the member pilot.
  9. It is important to remember that the gliders are owned and are to be shared by all members. The cross country reservation policy should be used with care to make sure that members who want to use the gliders have a fair chance to do so. However, there is no set limit to the amount of flying that a member is allowed to do (including cross-country). The idea is to have the gliders being flown - not sitting in the hanger.
  10. Re-lights are allowed, but if it becomes obvious that you can’t complete your task, you must release the glider for use by the other members.

CHICAGO GLIDER CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS           Revised: April 1, 2019

 

Minimum Pilot Requirements For Flying or Towing as Pilot in Command in CGC Powered Aircraft    

TO FLY CGC POWERED AIRCRAFT:

  • Possess at least a Private Pilot Certificate
  • Minimum of 250 hours Pilot in Command in powered aircraft, and;
  • Minimum of 50 hours PlC in ASEL with tailwheel, and;
  • At least 10 takeoffs and landings in same make and model (Husky and/or Pawnee as applicable), and;
  • Checkout by CGC Check Pilot

TO TOW IN CGC POWERED AIRCRAFT:

  • Possess at least a Private Pilot Certificate
  • Minimum of 500 hours Pilot in Command in powered aircraft, and;
  • Minimum of 100 hours PlC in ASEL with tailwheel, and;
  • At least 10 takeoffs and landings in same make and model (Husky and/or Pawnee as applicable), and;
  • At least 10 tows while accompanied by an "Authorized Pilot"
  • Checkout by CGC Check Pilot

A pilot not meeting the requirements, MAY be able to fly the airplanes, by being listed as a "named pilot" on the insurance policy after application through the CGC Operations Officer to the insurance company and meet certain requirements as prescribed by the insurance company.

Qualified CGC Pilots are not required to hold a Commercial Pilot Certificate to tow CGC members.

CHICAGO GLIDER CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS           Revised: March 27, 2006

The Chicago Glider Club address is:

Chicago Glider Club
26045 W Airport Road,
Minooka, IL 60447

The clubhouse telephone is: 815-467-9861.

Please note that the telephone is unattended when no members are present at the clubhouse, and messages cannot be recorded.

The webmaster can be contacted at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The best way to make contact with the club is by email to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  See the Board of Directors page for additional contacts.

Individual members' contact information is not publicly available on this website, however club members can find this information by logging on and then selecting the Member List menu command.

For maps and directions, see the Directions page.

Using ZELLE to pay your bill directly from your bank account is preferred at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Pay your CGC bill using either a PayPal or Credit Card Account here:

                                                               

Please note: There is a service charge associated with this method of payment from 2.9% to 6.0% depending on if you use PayPal or a credit card.  This service charge will be charged to the member, in addition to the billed amount, for the convenience of using this payment method.  

There are no service charges when sending a check thru the mail or when using ZELLE.

The Club is set up to accept ZELLE payments at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CGC 500K Club

The following members have made a cross-country soaring flight of at least 500 km from the Chicago Glider Club's normal field of operation:
 
Name Distance Date Glider
Robert F. Hupe 330 Miles - Free Distance Aug 20, 1961 Ka-6 
Harold Jensen 435 Miles - Free Distance April 14, 1962 LO-150
Richard W. Hawker 344 Miles - Free Distance May 24, 1962 Ka-6 CR 
Dr. Hartmut Schmidt 314 Miles - Free Distance May 18, 1963 Ka-6 CR
Dale S. May 367 Miles - Free Distance May 22, 1963 Fauvette 905
Neal H. Ridenour 360 Miles - Free Distance April 14, 1964 Prue Super Standard
John C. Slack 355 Miles - Free Distance April 14, 1964 LO-150
Michael S. Greenwald 337 Miles - Free Distance July 4, 1967 Ka-6 BR
Ward Hubbard 322 Miles - Free Distance April 18, 1974 Libelle
E. G. Hammond 325 Miles - Incomplete Triangle June 27, 1974 HP-11
Robet Spitz 325 Miles - Incomplete Triangle July 17, 1976 ASW-19
Lance Flynn 320 Miles - Triangle May 4, 1980 Standard Cirrus
Ronald Ridenour 320 Miles - Triangle May 4, 1980 Mini-Nimbus
Robert Macys 316 Miles - Triangle May 25, 1985 Mini-Nimbus
Gernot Neubauer 318 Miles - Free Distance June 27, 1987 ASW-20
Gene Hammond 324 Miles - Triangle June 23, 2001 ASW-20
Bob Macys 315 Miles - Triangle June 23, 2001 Ventus 2B
Don Kroesch 329 Miles - Triangle June 23, 2001 Genesis 2
John Cochrane 338 Miles - Multiple Turn Points June 28, 2005 ASW-27
John Cochrane 364 Miles - Multiple Turn Points June 30, 2005 ASW-27
 

Boom-a-Rang Contest

The Boom-A-Rang contest is a task set in the shape of a boomerang. It starts at the club field and goes to TP1, back to the club field, then on to TP2, with a finish at the club field (hopefully). TP1 and TP2 are defined on the contest day in relation to the weather. This task is held in conjunction with the club's annual Pig Roast. Since this event is held in late September to early October, the task distance is usually rather short (35-50 miles). The following members have won the annual Boom-A-Rang contest. The speed listed is a handicap speed using the SSA Handicap list.
 
Year Name Speed
1973 Ward Hubbard Unknown
1974 Neal Ridenour Unknown
1975 Burt Meyer Unknown
1976 Robert Spitz 60.3 MPH
1977 No Contest
1978 Burt Meyer 49.3 MPH
1979 Duane Eisenbeiss 33.7 MPH
1980 E. G. Hammond 50.9 MPH 
1981 Robert Spitz 35.2 MPH 
1982 E. G. Hammond 49.8 MPH 
1983 Ronald Ridenour 53.1 MPH 
1984 No Contest
1985 No Contest
1986 Robert Macys 35.9 MPH 
1987 Neal Ridenour 45.0 MPH 
1988 No Contest
1989 Burt Meyer Unknown
1990 E. G. Hammond 48.7 MPH 
1991 Ronald Ridenour 45.2 MPH 
1992 Ronald Ridenour 48.7 MPH 
1993 Duane Eisenbeiss 45.1 MPH 
1994 No Contest
1995 Duane Eisenbeiss 38.6 MPH 
1996 John Cochrane 41.0 MPH 
1997 Duane Eisenbeiss 48.0 MPH 
1998 Don Kroesch 65.6 MPH 
1999 Nigel Cripps 45.7 MPH 
2000 Mike Shakman 62.8 MPH 
2001 Mike Shakman 50.2 MPH 
2002 John Cochrane 42.1 MPH 
2003 Jeff Russell 55.2 MPH 
2004 Tim Gossfeld 54.7 MPH 
2005 Ron Ridenour 37.4 MPH 
2006 Bob Spitz 35.5 MPH 
2007 Roderic Read 57.0 MPH 
2008 Ron Ridenour 56.0 MPH
2009 Roderic Read 63.4 MPH
2010 Kevin Hobbs 57.7 MPH 

CLGC Soaring Weather and Data Analysis

Presentation to CLGC by Greg Chisholm, December 2000 (pdf 3.3MB)

 

Chicago Soaring Forecasts courtesy of CGC and NOAA-FSL

The following SkewT/LogP diagrams provide both actual and forecast soundings. The forecast soundings are derived from the actual soundings via computer simulations:

  1. TI's and SkewT/LogP diagrams: Locate the dry adiabat line for the daily forcast high (CGC is approximately 1000mb's MSL). The dry adiabat angles from lower right to upper left - colored blue, numbered in degrees F.
  2. Follow the dry adiabat up to the intersection with the sounding. The sounding is the squiggly line depicting temperature as a function of altitude - colored red. This intersection is the top of the thermal for today, given no complications, like clamp.
  3. At any altitude, the TI is the difference between the sounding temperature for that altitude and the dry adiabat temperature for that altitude.
  4. One rule of thumb is that a glider could expect to top out at TI=-3 (though many have experienced greater heights).

 

Advanced Digital Data Service (ADDS)

The National Weather Service's ADDS site contains a large amount of general aviation weather data. These links provide you with direct access to a number of these pages.

 

Dr. Jack's Blipmaps

Direct Link to Dr Jack's BLIPMAP images - Blipmap and Blipspot forecasts. This page contains 4 Blipmap images - Thermal Updraft Strength, Critical Height, Wind Speed, and Wind Direction. It also contains links to the Blipspot forecasts for the CGC location. Note: You must be a Blipmap subscriber to view all 4 Blipmap images.
 


NOAA-FSL

Forecast by NOAA's Forcast Systems Laboratory. This link provides 5 plots from the current time. I usually select the region around the drybulb from ground (~1000mb) to 10,000 feet (e.g., place cursor to right of drybulb/1000mb intersection, depress left mouse button, drag up and to the left to above 10,000 ft line). Expected cloudbases are indicated by the following: pressure (altitude), wetbulb temp, drybulb temp, and wind direction/speed.

 

Additional Helpful Stuff on the Web

 

General Purpose Sites and Educational Information

The following is a collection of sources for the above graphics as well as some selected information sources on reading these graphics.

 

Created by Greg Chisholm December 1998
Modified by Rich Carlson July 2004

The Chicago Glider Club was formed in 1953, as evidenced by this announcement that our local historian Simine Short found in the National Soaring Museum in 1998.

As described in the announcement (see text below the illustration), CGC was formed by a small group of members from the Chicagoland Glider Council, which had already been in existence since 1937.
 

 

A NEW CLUB IS BORN!

The Chicago Glider Club is not to be confused with the Chicagoland Glider Council. It is composed of members of the Council who wish to actively participate in the flying of gliders Those who are now activating the organization are as follows: 

	Mr. and Mrs. James Ducy			Julian Hall
	Cyril Rogers				Millard Wells
	Bob Mouroski				Allen Schultz
	Joe Trefney				George Ott
	Richard Hawker				Sue Yager
	Pat Heraeg				Bernie Mossberg

The Club has been formed around a Schweitzer TG3 owned by Bob Mouroski and Joe Trefney. The Chicagoland Glider Council and the Chicago Glider Club both wish to extend their gratitude to both of these men for making this ship available to them. 

The purpose of this Club is to encourage the art of soaring flight in the Chicagoland area. The Council is most pleased with the interest and enthusiasm with which this new venture has been met. If this Club is as successful as it promises to be, other gliders will undoubtedly be made available under this plan for all those who wish to fly them. 

 

 

 

 

Rules of the Northern

Illinois Soaring

Championship

Sponsored by the Chicagoland Glider Council Inc.

Updated: April 26, 2017

 

Northern Illinois Soaring Contest Rule Changes as of April 2017

 
1.     Any day on which three pilots fly a handicapped distance of 40 statute miles will be treated as a contest day.  Turnpoints are any public-use airport on the sectional chart in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana or Iowa and those RLAs listed on the Worldwide Soaring Turnpoint Exchange for the contest. The contest data base can be downloaded in a wide range of formats from that source. SSA glider handicaps will be used.  The contest will be scored using the SSA’s Winscore program.


2.     Tasks may be declared in advance or not.  If a pilot declares a task in advance (by radio or posted announcement at the take off airport), a 10% bonus will apply in recognition of the increased difficulty of flying a declared task. Pilots need to inform the scorer (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if they flew a pre-defined task.  Tasks may be of any type recognized in the SSA regional sports class soaring rules (“SSA Rules”):

A.     Assigned tasks with mandatory turn-points and no time limit, although minimum time will be one-hour if no other period is declared;
 
B.     MAT (modified assigned task) tasks consisting of a series of assigned turn-points that must be flown in order, but the series may be cut short by returning to the finish and will be scored as completed tasks; a time minimum task time may be included (also with any declared time or the default 1-hour period); or


C.     Turn area tasks with a set time or the default duration of 1hour, and defined turn-points with a defined radius for each as specified in the declaration (turn areas, the and finish must not overlap and must be separated by at least two statute miles).

 
3.     While a scoring formula providing, in effect, a bonus for longer flights makes sense in terms of recognizing the increased difficulty of longer tasks, applying the bonus may be discouraging flights in club gliders that must be shared since pilots may not feel competitive.  Therefore, the bonus will be eliminated.
 
4.    Although the default time will be one hour, pilots are encouraged to declare longer time periods if glider availability is not a factor. 
 
5.     The start cylinder will be 2 statute miles in radius centered on any of the starting airports (Chicago Glider Club, Hinckley, Dacy or Sky Soaring).  The top of the cylinder will be the lower of 4,500’ MSL or 500’ below clouds if clouds are present.  The finish cylinder will be 1 mile in radius centered on the same airport from which the flight began.  The floor of the finish cylinder will be 1,500’ MSL.  The penalty for low finishes as provided in the SSA Regional Sports Class Rules will apply to finishes below that altitude.  A pilot can start the task by thermaling through the top of the cylinder.

 
6.     Scores will be computed using the SSA Rules.  Scores will be tallied on a monthly basis.  There will be a monthly winner each month from April through October.  A month will count for purpose of determining a monthly winner as long as at least three pilots each fly at least two contest days in the month.
 
7.     Scores will also be maintained on a cumulative basis for the year and the pilot with the best score for the year will be recognized at the end of the season.  The contest will start on April 1 and end on October 31. 
 
8.     Pilots must submit the flight log to the scorer in a format that can be read by the SSA Winscore software, with a statement of the turnpoints claimed and the definition of the task, and with a statement as to whether it was declared in advance. Because Winscore requires the total weight of the aircraft, pilot and equipment, pilots must provide that weight with the first flight log submitted and advise the scorer of any revision of more than 10 pounds during the course of the season. Winscore adjusts the standard handicaps based on weight.

 
9.    As in past years, pilots may carry water ballast in NISC contest flights. All pilots who take off with water will be scored as if all the water on board at takeoff was carried throughout the flight. When submitting flight logs for scoring, pilots are required to inform the scorer of the weight of the water on board (both in the wings and in any tail ballast containers) and of the revised weight of the glider at takeoff with water. (Winscore adjust handicaps based on glider weight. The adjustments can be significant. As an example, an ASG-29 with a light pilot and no water will weight about 803 pounds. The same glider with a pilot 60 pounds heavier and carrying 30 gallons of water will weight about 1103 lbs. Winscore calculates -- and we will apply -- a handicap of .8582 for the first pilot and .8075 for the second pilot.) Pilots should familiarize themselves with safety and handling issues for their glider before carrying water. For pilots without extensive experience flying with water in the model of glider used for NISC contest flights, careful review of the applicable provisions of the Pilot's Operating Handbook or other manufacturer information and of all applicable limitations relating to operating with water ballast is recommended – as is a discussion with an instructor experienced in flying with water ballast in similar gliders. As in all aspects of NISC flying, the pilot is solely responsible for the safety of his or her flight and for complying with all regulatory and POH requirements.

10.     If not otherwise provided in the NISC rules, the 2017 SSA Regional Sports Class Rules will apply.  All pilots will be responsible for their own flight decisions and for compliance with the Federal Aviation Regulations. Any complaints or protests may be sent to the scorer who will resolve them, unless he is involved in the matter, in which case it will be referred to a neutral and experienced contest pilot for decision.


11.    By submitting a log for scoring or otherwise participating in the contest, a pilot agrees to be bound by the release of liability set out in full in complete rules.

 

Basic safety issues:

 

Don’t count on RLAs to be landable, especially for gliders! RLAs are often narrow. They can be misplaced on the map and databases. Some may have reverted to crops or become housing developments. Others are not often mowed or maintained, and may present a hazard due to high grass or potholes. RLA conditions can change over the course of the season. RLAs are private property. The Northern Illinois database carefully distinguishes between "airport" and "private". "Airports" are public use airports, and their location and landabilty is much more reliable. Fields with the "private" or "landable" attribute (depending on software) are RLAs, and subject to the above unreliability.

 

This warning includes such fields used as turnpoints.

Chicago airspace is very congested. Power planes are not looking for gliders, especially away from airports, and gliders are very hard to see. We strongly suggest that you purchase and install a transponder and/or a passive traffic avoidance device (zaon mrx) or power flarm. In any case, keep a sharp lookout. It is a good practice to occasionally take some turns on long glides so you can see behind you.

When possible, plan your flights to take you away from common approach routes, class B and C airspace, and the 30 nm Class B veil. Be aware of airways (the blue lines on sectionals) and VORs, and anticipate power traffic on airways and in the vicinity of VORs.

 

All pilots are required to comply with FARs, including cloud clearance and visibility requirements. You must wear a parachute on NISC flights.

 

Be careful around parachute operations, especially Skydive Chicago, Rochelle, and Beloit. Monitor their frequency when nearby. Parachute operations communicate with Chicago Center before jumps, so they know you're there but they don't know your intentions. Talking to the parachute operator is a good idea.  Note:  Skydive Chicago is not a permissible turnpoint.  This rule has been adopted to discourage NISC flying in the area of that airport

 

The most common source of problems in cross country flying is putting off the decision to land in a field until too late, and as a result not doing a proper field inspection and pattern. Commit in advance of every flight that you will not make this mistake. Expect a scolding from the scorer if your trace shows a straight-in landing to a field at low speed, and points penalties for repeated violations.

 

Unlike SSA contests, there is no contest management to check weather and airspace (NOTAMs, TFRs, etc.). Each pilot must take responsibility to obtain this necessary informaton. Don't assume that because you hear others on the radio that they have done so.

 

Ask for help. Any of the NISC pilots at your airport will be delighted to guide you through the rules and procedures.

 

Please read the full rules for more information by clicking on the link below ("pdf").

Competition Rules

The complete competition rules can be viewed as a pdf that can be downloaded and printed.

Results for 2018: 2018 Results

Below are the results from previous years (in Excel format).

 

Previous Winners

The Northern Illinois Soaring Championships is a sports class contest. It has been won by pilots flying everything from a 1-26 to a Ventus. The top 8 daily scores (8000 points max) are counted each year. If not enough contestants fly, then some years have a lower possible maximum score (see rules for complete details). The winner is awarded a traveling plaque to hold for 1 year. The top 3 finishers from the previous contest are listed in order along with their aircraft and their point total/maximum possible points. Congratulations to all the previous winners of this contest.

 The following list of winners will be brought up to date.

Year Participants Place Pilot Sailplane Points
2018 11 1 Mike Shakman ASG-29-18 6272
2 Bob Spitz ASW-28 4737
3 Hubert Elsen ASW-24 2623
2017 16 1 Herb Kilian ASG-29-18 7881
2 Mike Shakman ASG-29-18 7743
3 Mark Akerley ASW-27 6940
2016 19 1 Herb Kilian LS8-15 7187
2 Mike Shakman ASG29-15 6627
3 Mark Akerley ASW-27 3860
2013 28 1 Herb Kilian LS8-15 8000
2 Mike Shakman ASG29-15 7720
3 Hubert Elsen ASW-24 6937
2012 24 1 Herb Kilian LS8-15 8000 (11 x 1000-day)
2 John Cochrane ASW-27 8000 (10 x 1000-day)
3 Mike Shakman ASG29-15 7400
2011 19 1 Herb Kilian LS8-15 8000
2 John Cochrane ASW-27 7938
3 Mike Shakman ASG29-15 7585
2010 16 1 Herb Kilian LS8-15 8000
2 Mike Shakman ASG29-18 7355
3 Bob Spitz ASW-28 6945
2009 21 1 John Cochrane ASW-27 8000
2 Herb Kilian LS8-15 7992
3 Bob Spitz ASW-28 7095
2008 25 1 John Cochrane ASW-27 8000 (10 x 1000-day)
2 Herb Kilian LS8-15 8000 (8 x 1000-day)
3 Bob Macys Ventus 2B 7965
2007 22 1 John Cochrane ASW-27 8000
2 Herb Kilian LS8-15 7769
3 Neal Ridenour ASW-27 7691
2006 19 1 Mike Shakman ASW-24 7775
2 Herb Kilian LS8 7584
3 Motti Pikelny Ventus 7513
2005 16 1 John Cochrane ASW-27 7928
2 Herb Kilian LS8 7875
3 Mike Shakman ASW-24 7871
2004   1 ? ? ?
2 ? ? ?
3 ? ? ?
2003 18 1 Herb Kilian LS8 7987
2 John Cochrane ASW-27 7931
3 Mike Shakman ASW-24 7728
2002 13 1 John Cochrane ASW-27 8000
2 Mike Shakman ASW-24 7796
3 Jeff Russell LS 4 7784
2001 16 1 Mike Shakman ASW-24 7693
2 Neal Ridenour ASW-27 7543
3 Bob Macys Ventus 2B 7526
2000 15 1 Duane Eisenbeiss Discus 7972
2 Mike Shakman ASW-24 7745
3 Don Kroesch Genesis 2 7684
1999 22 1 John Cochrane Discus CS 7719
2 Rudy Kunda ASW-27 7618
3 Bob Macys Ventus 7576
1998 20 1 John Cochrane Discus CS 7795
2 Rudy Kunda ASW-27 7766
3 Nigel Cripps DG-303 7536
1997 28 1 Neal Ridenour Mini Nimbus 7791
2 Rudy Kunda Pegasus 7743
3 Bob Quas SGS1-26D 7524
1996 21 1 John Cochrane Pegasus 7849
2 Kevin Hobbs Std Cirrus 7474
3 Rudy Kunda Pegasus 7354
1995 25 1 Kevin Hobbs Std Cirrus 8000
2 John Cochrane Pegasus 7770
3 Bob Quas SGS1-26D 7752
1994 20 1 John Cochrane Pegasus 7898
2 Rudy Kunda Pegasus 7642
3 Mark Akerley LS-1 7544
1993 10 1 Mike Shakman Pegasus 4604
2 Rudy Kunda Pegasus 4550
3 Bob Macys Mini Nimbus 3792
1992 17 1 Rudy Kunda Pegasus 7786
2 Neal Ridenour Mini Nimbus 7617
3 Bob Macys Mini Nimbus 7579
1991 18 1 Bob Quas SGS1-26 D 8000
2 Rudy Kunda Pegasus 7777
3 Neal Ridenour Mini Nimbus 7685
1990 12 1 Duane Eisenbeiss Discus 4000
2 Bob Macys Mini Nimbus 3774
3 Mike Shakman Pegasus 3471
1989 12 1 Bob Macys Mini Nimbus 7156
2 Mike Shakman Pegasus 6890
3 Rudy Kunda Pegasus 6883