JASPER, Tenn. — Pilots from four nations will race gliders in the first Pan American Gliding Championships, a series of cross-country speed challenges taking place in April at McMinn County Airport.
Using only air currents for lift, 28 pilots will guide their slender-winged craft across hundreds of miles using mountain ridges and the natural updrafts in the sun-warmed river valley.
The pilot list includes seven current or recent national champions from the USA, Canada, Argentina and Brazil. They include Sarah Arnold, co-owner of Chilhowee Gliderport, who won the Sports Class Nationals in 2011, earning a spot on the U.S. Soaring Team.
Practice begins April 3 and competition runs April 6-17. Gliders will be towed aloft, usually between noon and 2 p.m., and return in late afternoon.