Princeton Packet - September 12, 1997
by Lisa Tarriff Staff Writer
For Princeton resident Marty Schneiderman, flying is more than a means of
transportation-it is a sport, a challenge, and a thrill. He is one of about 15
members of the Princeton-based Soaring Tigers club, a group dedicated to flying
motorless planes. The club gathers nearly every
weekend, weather permitting, at the Van Sant airport in Erwinna, Pa., just west
of the Delaware River.
The club is largely instructional, Mr. Schneiderman said. Its members seek the
thrill of soaring through the air without the benefit of an engine. Many club
members obtain their pilot's license and then go on to become instructors
themselves. The number of members the club can admit depends on the number of
instructors available to teach.
Members of the group are challenge-seekers. Some flew remote-controlled planes
as a kid. Some see gliding as a sport comparable to sailing.
"I was always into airplanes as a kid," said West Windsor resident
and club member Marc Sibilia. After taking a glider
ride in California, Mr. Sibilia said he knew he
wanted to learn to fly." Group member Tom Saunders, a resident of
Manalapan, said he has sailed his whole life and decided he wanted to fly a
plane. He took power lessons, but at the same time researched soaring."I decided I wanted to learn to fly as a
sport, rather than as a means of transportation," Mr. Saunders said. The
difference between a glider and a power plane is the same as the difference
between a sailboat and a motor boat, he added.
The Soaring Tigers club was established in December of 1974, at which time it
was known as the Soaring Society of Princeton University. The group operated
from Forrestal Airport on the Princeton University campus from 1974 through
June of 1989. In June of 1989, Princeton University closed Forrestal Airport so
the land could be used for commercial development.
And while a commercial plane is a fine way to get from here to there, gliding,
club members say, is a true adventure. "Gliding you do purely for
sport," Mr. Sibilia said at a recent gathering
of the club. "It's a real challenge."
Mr. Schneiderman learned to fly as a member of the Soaring Tigers 21 years ago,
and has taught several classes, including one a Princeton Adult School. He will
teach there again in spring. The challenge of motorless
flight, he said, lies in keeping the plane aloft. "It's more of a
challenge to be able to stay up and read air currents," he said from the
cockpit of the club's plane. "You're constantly having to make decisions
in order to maintain your altitude and to stay up."
A tow plane connected to the glider by a rope carries the glider to an altitude
of about 2500 feet. When the pilot pulls a ball inside the cockpit, the glider
plane is released from the tow plane. From there, it is the responsibility of
the pilot to navigate the air currents to keep the plane aloft. "It's
important to have the right altitude," said Mr. Saunders. "There's no
engine to rev the plane up again if you don't have enough altitude."
"It's pure flight, but it does require mastery of the aircraft," said
Jennifer Molnar, a resident of Yardley, Pa., and member of the Soaring Tigers.
For that reason, Ms. Molnar said, the sport especially appeals to people with a
technical background. To receive a pilot's license, members have to demonstrate
proficiency in all flight operations and complete ground instruction or a
home-study course. They also must complete a Federal Aviation Administration
written test, and have seven hours of solo flight
under their belt.
Fernando De La Pena, a resident of Jersey City who was considering joining the
group on a recent Sunday, said he wanted to try gliding for the challenge. Mr.
De La Pena has tried rafting and sky diving and was looking for a new thrill.
"I haven't done bungee jumping because she won't let me," Mr. De La
Pena said, gesturing toward his wife, Lorena. "This seems the closest you
get to flying in a pure way," said Princeton resident Peter Meyers.
"A power plane has more freedom, but it's more noisy.
And, it doesn't have the daredevil aspect of hang gliding or parachuting."
Mr. Schneiderman, a management consultant for a computer firm who claims his
poor vision prevented him from becoming a commercial pilot, said although
gliding is not dangerous, it does require a certain amount of precision. For
example, he said, if a power plane pilot goes in for a landing and determines
his altitude or speed is not what it should be, he can readjust and try the
landing again. A glider pilot has no such luxuries. Once a pilot decides to
land, he must land.
"For this reason, we have to be more conservative and have more back-up
plans," said Mr. Schneiderman, who claims he can almost always land in the
exact same spot he started. "You get once chance to land. You can't start
all over again." But, he added, "it doesn't mean it's scary and it
doesn't mean it's dangerous." "A glider is safer because you don't
depend on the engine," said West Windsor resident Sharon Sibilia. "There is no engine to blow up."
Another attraction of the sport is the bird's eye view from the cockpit of the
two-seater plane. From the Van Sant airport, pilots can see the Delaware River,
Philadelphia and other small lakes.