Chicagoland Glider Council

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The ChicagoLand Glider Council is a non-profit organization of approximately 300 members which was formed in 1937. The coucil has a long history of dedication to the advancement and safety of soaring (motor-less) flight. The Council is the umbrella organization of several soaring and glider oriented clubs within the Chicago area with membership extending into Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. Notable of these clubs are Chicago Glider Club, Sky Soaring Glider Club and Windy City Soaring Association.

The Council collects dues which are used for four primary purposes.

• Represent the Council's membership in matters of the Federal Aviation Administration, Soaring Society of America, Chicago Department of Aviation, and other governing bodies.
• Provide youth grant(s) for student glider pilots under the age of 21. Selection is based on a written essay and via recommendations from instructors.
• Host off season monthly evening meetings (November through March) on various aviation and soaring related topics.
• Host an annual day long conference and seminar with nationally known speakers and vendor participation.

The Council is a charter member of the Soaring Society of America.

For more details on the council, schedule of events and other information, see http://chicagolandglidercouncil.com.

[edit] History

The historical information below was taken from, with kind permission, Images of Aviation – Soaring and Gliding – The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Area written by Jeffery Sandman and Peter Sandman and published by Arcadia Publishing. http://www.arcadiapublishing.com

As early as October 1936, an informal soaring meet was held near Benton Harbor, Indiana [Sic], with members of four glider clubs participating. It led to the formation of the ChicagoLand Glider Council, a not-for-profit organization intended to encourage motorless flying by sponsoring regional contests, setting soaring records, and aiding sailplane construction. Headed by German-born Chicagoan Joseph P. Steinhauser and Bob Blaine, the editor of the Air Bubble, the mimeographed publication of the council, the group was very active in meets at Frankfort [Michigan] in 1938 and 1939. In February 1939, they sponsored a Winter Get-Together and Soaring Forum at the Hotel Sherman in Chicago, with Frankfort’s Stan Corcoran and Ted Bellak as the guest speakers. About 200 pilots attended. In November of that year, they hosted a meet at Benton Harbor.