Gliders soaring over Nephi this week: Nephi Municipal Airport (U14), Utah

Dozens of pilots of glider planes, capable of flying hundreds of miles by thermal draft, aim for records and trade stories, ideas.


Nephi • To the uninitiated, the sight of what appears to be a small airplane being towed into the air about 200 feet behind another craft might seem strange.

But that will be the norm through Sunday at the first of what organizers hope will become the annual Nephi OLC/Cross Country Camp soaring event at the Nephi Airport.

Pilots of nearly 50 glider planes capable of flying hundreds of miles utilizing only thermal drafts will enjoy friendly competition, try to set records and trade stories and ideas.

Organizer Bruno Vassel IV of Draper said the gliders flying at Nephi through Sunday boast 50- to 70-foot wing spans and can hold one or two people. A powered tow plane pulls them 2,000 feet into the air using a 200-foot rope. After the glider pilot releases the rope, the machines — which sometimes have water in their wings to increase speed — can hit 150 mph and soar up to 18,000 feet in altitude.

Vassel, for example, flew 502 miles in his glider Monday after he took off from Nephi.

Many pilots, such as Fred Lasor from Minden, Nev., are attending the event to experience some of the internationally famous gliding conditions found in the Great Basin.

Lasor flew his glider from Nephi to Mt. Delano near Beaver and then over to Mt. Moriah in Nevada before returning to Juab County earlier this week. He has been on what he calls a soaring safari since May 3, trying new soaring areas in New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, California and, now, Utah.

He said gliders continually have to problem-solve — searching for the next thermal lift to keep them in the air and being aware of remote airports and rural dirt roads where they might have to make a quick landing.

"This wears me out mentally more than any other activity," he said.

Lasor said Nephi is a good airport for gliders because nearby mountains offer good lifts, there are numerous places to land and there is little powered aircraft activity at the relatively new, rural facility.

Utah’s soaring history dates back to 1927 when, according to a history written by Utah gliding pioneer Frank Kelsey, a group of 18 University of Utah students founded the U-Glider Club.

Things have come a long ways since Kelsey constructed a glider as a 15-year-old West High student.

For example, Bob Faris of Masonville, Colo., has one of two "self-launching" gliders being used this week at Nephi. A small motor with a prop in the back of the glider that resembles a small powered plane can pop out behind the pilot to reach the desired height.

Nephi Mayor Mark Jones, who took his first ride in a glider Wednesday, said the event is a great perk for the community because of the number of pilots and their families who are staying in town.

Jones called his first soaring experience "a wonderful ride. You see how you they get altitude. It was a relaxing and pleasant ride."

Although some gliders can cost up to $350,000, beginners can get into the sport by purchasing an older model craft for as low as $6,000, Vassel said. They can also join a club such as the Utah Soaring Association for about $600 to acquire training and access to gliders.

Anyone who wants to just go along for the ride can go up for between $100 to $125 out of soaring centers in Utah such as Cedar Valley, Logan, Morgan, Parowan and Heber City, usually with a club. Rides are being offered for $125 out of Nephi this week.

A free-to-the-public open house is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Nephi Airport, about three miles northwest of town.

For more information on gliding in Utah, go to www.utahsoaring.org.

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