MIFFLIN COUNTY AIRPORT At Pa. glider competition, there are no soar losers

The competition continues through Thursday.
REEDSVILLE, Pa. (AP) -- Gliders have traveled far and wide to use the famous mountain ridges at Mifflin County Airport in Reedsville, hoping to use this preferred type of air lift for the daily races and flying activities in the annual Region II Soaring Competition.
The competition, which is sanctioned by the Soaring Society of America, began last Tuesday and continues through Thursday.
These aircraft without engines can travel as far as 500 miles per trip. The gliders are specially made sailplanes that also can cruise as fast as 150 mph on ridge, wave and thermal lifts.
Ridge lifts are most favored among gliders. They are patterns of wind flowing up the windward side of a hill. Wave lifts are strong winds that blow perpendicular to the mountain ridges and are extremely popular among glider pilots. If neither is available, glider pilots then look for warm, rising air, which are thermal lifts.
Weather is key
Pilots rely on these different types of weather conditions while soaring through the clouds to reach destinations.
"It is a very skilled recreation, and this is one of the best areas in the U.S. for gliders due to the updrafts from the mountain ridges," Airport Manager Aquilla Kanagy said. "I have been told that if Mifflin [County] is mentioned in Germany, pilot gliders know this is a very good area to fly."
Kanagy added that the event gives the airport more exposure.
"It brings a lot of excitement and activity to the airport and people in the community," Kanagy said.
Contest Director Charlie Spratt designs routes based on weather conditions for the day and with the 51 turn-points in the course in mind.
"I make sure rules are being followed by the pilots and people on the ground; everything is done in a safe manner, and people do what they're supposed to do," Spratt said.
Gliders will travel from Reedsville to Cumberland, Md., to Williamsport and back. The pilot with the fastest speeds wins the day. At the end of the 10-day contest, the pilot with the highest total score of speed and distance will be named national champion and receive a trophy.
"There are no monetary awards, and it's more of a pride issue," Ground Operations Supervisor Brian Glick said. "People are working for ... a chance to go onto the world team."
Safe, quick launches
Glick is responsible for the safe and effective quick launch of 50 gliders from the five tow planes for the contest. According to SSA rules and regulations, he has to make sure each plane is up in the air within an hour after the first one takes off from the landing area.
Officials will be watching from a window in the skydiving office to determine the launch and landing of the gliders' course as well as keeping score.
The glider contest seems to attract a wide variety of people who all share the same interest in Mifflin County's mountain ridges.
Liz Schwenkler, 25, of Elmira, N.Y., believes Mifflin County is a unique site because of the ridges. She has been racing since she was 17 and also repairs gliders for a living.
"It's a lot of fun because of different aspects," Schwenkler said. "You can't get bored because every day the weather changes and you never get the same thing twice."
Peter Masak of West Chester said he's been flying for more than 30 years.
"I think the soaring here is fantastic," Masak said. "It's exhilarating to fly on the ridges because it's something you can't do anywhere else in the world, and it's very close to home for me."
Dick Butler of Tullahoma, Tenn., said he has had a lifelong affair with aviation.
"I think it's the beauty of the terrain," Butler said. "The challenge of the ridge is interesting, and it's quite unusual to have the combination of ridge, wave and thermal lifts."
Butler brought along Corey Gillard, 22, as his ground crew to keep things in check and working order.
"I help assemble the aircraft and make sure everything is ready to go because he [Butler] has a lot of other things on his mind," Gillard said.
Flying together
Mike and Lorie McCarron of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., said they have been flying for a little more than 20 years.
"It [gliding] is very birdlike," Mike McCarron said. "You have to use the knowledge of the atmosphere and have an understanding of the weather."
Mark Keene of State College said the uniqueness of the people in the community and the challenge of the competition keep him coming back to Mifflin County.
Chris Saunders, 18, of Beltzville has been involved with flying all his life. He lives on an airport his grandfather owns.
"It's fun, competitive, and pure," Saunders said of gliding. "All you have is you and the air. Basically, it's you and Mother Nature."
Micki Minner of Tucson, Ariz., said the community has been fabulous. She was married to gliding official Charlie Minner last year on the runway.
"You will find a wide variety of people of a highly technical caliber," she said. "For some reason, they are drawn to this sport."