Several pilots and instructors from the Air Currency Enhancement Society (Debert Airport) and the former Bluenose Soaring Club, plus other soaring enthusiasts are working to reestablish an active soaring operation in Nova Scotia. If you would like to be part of a community of pilots and soaring enthusiasts, please join us [1] Join Soaring Nova Scotia and/or [2] contact one of us.
There are three gliding operations active in Nova Scotia; the Air Cadet League, Air Currency Enhancement Society (ACES) and Pegasus Paragliding.
The soaring activity of the two clubs that fly sailplanes has been dramaticaly reduced in last few years because of the lack of available training aircraft and pilots active in gliding. (1) ACES's two-seat training glider (Schweizer 2-22) is out of service for needed repairs. (2) The two-seat ka7's of the former Bluenose Soaring Club need refurbishing before they can fly. Single-seat gliders are flying. The club owns a Schweizer 1-26 and there are a couple of private gliders. (see ACES website). There is auto-tow equipment for glider launching and experienced instructors available for training.
The Air Cadet League is operating and training members of the Air Cadet for glider licence. This is restricted to young persons in the Air Cadets. Air Cadet pilots and instructors fly on weekends at Debert and other airports in the spring and autumn. If you are a young person, the Air Cadets training is an option for you.
Pegasus Paragliding glides and soars in Cumberland County using parawings. This is a different type of aircraft but quite capable of providing the experience of soaring aloft on the rising air currents. There is a link to their website in the menu to the left.
The season is off to a slow start. ACES still does not have a two seater for check outs and training. The two Ka7 gliders are in their trailers at Debert. No solution for getting C-GALN in the air has been offered yet. One day of flying at Waterville airport took place in early June by the single seated glider, C-FVKA. The weather this year has been cloudy and wet for July and soaring has not taken place. The Air Cadet Glider School is in progress and on time. New glider pilots are in training and some have gone solo by the end of July.
The two-seated Schleicher ka7 (C-GALN) wings are repaired, covered and painted. The glider was assembled and inspected late in the summer and passed inspection. Unfortunately, the weight and balance measurement showed that the glider is overweight and should not carry two passangers at once. It could be flown by a single pilot but is not insured. The Bluenose Soaring Club has been deregistered as a society and no longer exists. An approach get permission to fly at Stanley Aerodrome has been turned down and it appears that there will be no glide activity at that site in the near future.
There is adequate equipment available in Nova Scotia to support a healthy soaring sport (See the equipment link on the left). Two training gliders are being rebuilt. ACES is rebuilding C-FACE (the Schweizer 2-22) and pilots are rebuilding C-GALN (a Schleicher Ka7). A mobile winch is available to launch these glider at any of three sight. ACES has auto-tow cabability at Debert on the paved runways. Another Ka7 (C-GRGD) with trailer is for sale but needs inspection.
In 2005, ACES and Bluenose Soaring Club members made their plans to rebuild the training gliders and operate at various airports in the province (see locations). We would like to have the capability to fly and train new pilots at any of the three airports that have been used for soaring in the past, Debert, Stanley, or Kings County.