National Soaring Museum

Elmira, New York is the home of the National Soaring Museum. This area has the needed terrain to allow for unpowered flight of gliders and is the location for national competitions for glider enthusiasts.

The museum is a comprehensive history of the history of unpowered flights and includes examples  of gliders from all timelines of the sport.

This is one of the first designs of the Schweitzer Brothers. their Dad was most protective of the boys and did not allow them to ride bicycles as they were too dangerous, but in secret they built this glider and showed it to him just before completion and he gave his blessing to fly it. Turned out to be the start of a long history of glider manufacturing.

There are some beautiful cut away models showing glider construction.

They have a repair shop that works on things such as critter damage

Also many fine examples of glider models

Many methods are used to launch gliders. this is one method in which bungee cords are stretched by a crew while others hold the aircraft in position until the last moment

Notables in the sport are highlighted

Another launching method is the winch tow which rapidly accelerates a glider from a mechanism mounted in a truck bed

WWII soldiers were taken into battle in gliders towed behind powered aircraft. These were brave men!

Gliders can have a small engine mounted to give added endurance to flights and permit self launching

Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport New York

We visited the Glenn Curtiss museum near the Village of Hammondsport, New York. Mr. Curtiss was a tremendous influence in the development of the airplane, but sadly his ongoing fight with the Wright Brothers over patent rights has resulted in his having a secondary role in recognition of aviation development. 

The museum does a wonderful job of explaining his evolution from a bicycle designer/builder to engine developer and onto a motorcycle racer and finally a designer of aircraft.

This parade plane is sized for travel down the streets of a town

This is a full motion LINK trainer used for teaching WWII era pilots

Another parade car that appears to be an antique but has a modern powerplant

This P40 aircraft is being restored from the parts recovered from two wrecked aircraft

Thiis is an example of what they are starting with

The Curtiss name lives on thru this recent bicycle