About us
The Prince Albert Gliding and Soaring Club is a volunteer-run non-profit that makes gliding accessible in north-central Saskatchewan. We teach people of all ages to fly gliders, introduce the public to soaring through first flights, and help youth and Air Cadets learn to fly for less.
Founded in 1986, we fly from Birch Hills Airport, 25 minutes from Prince Albert.
Certified volunteer instructors teach members to fly gliders, from a first lesson to a Glider Pilot Licence. Instruction is free; members pay only for launches and glider time.
Anyone can try gliding with a club pilot for $50, with no experience or membership needed. For many members it is where they started.
Youth membership is $15 a year, and bursaries put up to $1,000 toward a young pilot's flying. Air Cadets can earn their Glider Pilot Licence here.
Members go on to soaring, cross-country flights and FAI badges. The longest cross-country flight out of PAGSC is 632 km.
We serve pilots and would-be pilots from Prince Albert, Saskatoon and the communities between, from teenagers to retirees.
Gliding is a team sport. It takes a crew to launch a glider, and members keep the cost of flying low by pitching in: driving the winch, running a wing, looking after the gliders and the field.
Flight fees, Discovery Flights and memberships pay for running the club: winch launches, glider maintenance, insurance, equipment and the hangar lease. That is what keeps instruction free and flying affordable.
The club is run by a volunteer board elected by members at the annual general meeting. There are no paid staff; instructors, winch drivers and ground crew are all volunteers. We are affiliated with the Soaring Association of Saskatchewan and Soaring Association of Canada.
Three gliders: a two-seat trainer and two single-seaters.
Two-seat trainer
Where every first flight and lesson happens. Steel-tube fuselage with wood and fabric wings, designed by Rudolf Kaiser as a trainer.
Single-seater
One of the most loved and best-handling gliders ever made. A classic wooden sailplane, also a Rudolf Kaiser design, with an all-flying tailplane.
Single-seater
An early fibreglass sailplane with a 17-metre wing, a T-tail and a retractable wheel. The highest performer of the three.
A best glide of 26:1 means 26 metres forward for every metre of height lost: about 12 km from a 1,500 ft launch in still air. Minimum sink is how slowly the glider descends when flown for time aloft.