A glider soars high in the sky. Gliders are towed to an altitude of 2,000 feet above Sleepy Eye to begin their trips. (PHotos by Ron Grieser)

SLEEPY EYE — SLEEPY EYE-Thirty gliders from seven states have been soaring over southern Minnesota this week and will continue to do so through Friday.

It’s part of the Region Seven soaring championships at Sleepy Eye Airport.

GLIDER PILOTS from seven states began arriving as early as last Thursday, bringing their dismantled gliders with them in long trailers. The gliders are assembled when they arrive at the airport,a task that takes two or three men from a half hour to an hour.

Some of the flyers brought their families with them. Many have set up tents at the airport and are enjoying camping out. Most of the pilots have other jobs and annually take a week’s vacation during the regional championships.

Practice flights were Saturday and Sunday, but the competitions didn’t begin until Monday. They will continue through Friday. At the conclusion of Friday’s events, participants will hold a banquet at the Orchid Inn.

A glider soars high in the sky. Gliders are towed to an altitude of 2,000 feet above Sleepy Eye to begin their trips. (PHotos by Ron Grieser)

PROBABLY THE busiest man at the airport this week is Eugene Chatelaine of Roseville, contest manager. He has been coordinating the flights, seeing that radio communication is okay, watching that all rules and regulations are observed, and that everything runs smoothly.

Chatelaine pilots power planes, too, but four years ago became interested in gliders. “I became so enthused about flying a glider,” he says, “that I seldom fly a power plane anymore.”

FLYERS WATCH the skies intently before taking off.Keeping an eye on the thermals (pertaining to heat and temperature) is a must for glider pilots.

The sun heats the fields. Eventually hot air begins to rise and cumulous clouds are formed. Once the thermals become favorable the gliders are ready for take-off.

Four planes are here this week to tow the gliders into the air. Towing lines are made of nylon and the gliders are pulled into the air at a distance of 200 feet behind the plane.

Pilots must use caution in staying above, below or on either side of the tow plane to avoid getting into the backwash of the tow plane’s propeller.

The gliders are released at 2,000 feet and are on their own. They glide to the starting gate, an imaginary 3,330 foot box in the sky and from there timing begins.

EACH DAY pilots are assigned a certain task.Sunday they flew from Sleepy Eye to Fairmont, to Windom, then back to Sleepy Eye. Sometimes they appeared almost stationary in the sky; at other times they moved at a rapid speed, depending on air conditions.

People have been craning their necks, watching the engine-less planes.

Points are given to the participating pilots, with each day’s winner getting 1,000 points. Contestants are battling for a place in national competition.

Pilots keep in contact with contest officials on the ground via two-way radio. Quite often pilots fly a contest pattern of up to 280 miles. Staying aloft for three or four hours is common.

If thermals are such that the planes can’t continue to fly, they land in a convenient field. The pilots then radio the airport, giving their location and someone brings the plane back to the airport via trailer.

MOST OF the gliders being flowvn here this week were manufactured in Germany. Cost runs from $10,000 to $30,000 each. The United States for many years never manufactured this type of craft, but Chatalaine says New York now has a glider manufacturing plant.

May 27, 1975

New Ulm Daily Journal