2025 Hood River Soaring Cross-Country Academy

Contest Information

Contest Name: 2025 Hood River Soaring Cross-Country Academy
Contest Location: Ephrata, WA
Description:

Hood River Soaring Cross-country and Badge Academy 2025

Dates: June 29 - July 6, 2025

Come join us for our second cross-country and badge academy in the beautiful Northwest.

Ephrata, Washington is the home of the Seattle Glider Council's cross-country training center and huge dedicated glider runway in the booming thermal conditions of central Washington. Typical thermal height is 7,000 - 12,000 AGL, and typical flight distances range from from 30 to over 100 miles away from the airport. With many small airports and landable dryland farm fields well-distributed throughout the flight area, Ephrata boasts some of the most benign territory for cross-country training and badge achievement. There is a well-established Proving Grounds that you can use to work up to Silver, Gold, and Diamond Distance.

There will be daily morning weather training and task development as well as evening cross-country flight seminars.

Attendees

Juniors age 14 through 25 pay the entry fee listed below as well as minimal cost to the SGC for the required junior membership and a donation to the Civil Air Patrol for use of their barracks. Complete information is at the registration links below. This cost includes all meals and training sessions, dual glider and mentor, and one tow per day. Since we have a limited number of two-place gliders and mentors available to juniors, you will be matched with these on a first-come, first-served basis as academy registration checks are received. So get your registration done early.
Adults of all experience levels are encouraged to attend with their own or their club's solo glider or dual glider and mentor. This is a holistic junior/adult and mentor/trainee soaring event in which all adult attendees will be expected to attend all meals. There is no registration fee for adults however, registration is required for all adults in order for us to plan meals, and your registration implies that you will join us for all meals, since we do not have the logistical resources to plan for differing numbers of attendees for different meals. Adults must also join the SGC and will pay regular tow rates directly to the SGC, and we ask that you make a donation onsite toward the cost of meals and academy expenses. The Civil Air Patrol does not provide housing for adults except those attending as chaperones or mentors for juniors, so other adults will need to find local accommodations.

Preparation and prerequisites

Your preparation for this academy should begin now, so the instructions at the registration links below include a number of easy prerequisites such as completing your Wing Runner and Bronze Badge written tests and a few basic flight tasks so that you can get the most out of this academy. You will find more detailed information at the registration links below.

Registration

Juniors register here
Adults, including tow pilots, volunteers, mentors, and chaperones register here

Dates: Practice: 6/29/2025 - 6/29/2025
Contest: 6/29/2025 - 7/6/2025
Classes: Academy
Fees: Deposit: TBD
Entry: $300
Checks to: Hood River Soaring
Host Organization: Hood River Soaring
Contest Web Site: https://forms.gle/kFmf7pSuFFspgBTF6
Control Point Site:
Contest Manager: Brian Hart | Phone: 3607720613 | Fax:
 
Contest Status Sanction Staus: Approved
Online Registration Online entry is not yet open.