This is a "beta" version for testing and comment,
The
“National Landmark of Soaring” Program was
established on 24 May 1980. The guidelines were approved sometime
thereafter (17 Oct 1981?) and published in NSM Quarterly (vol
4 no 3 1981), in conjunction with the report of the National Landmark
of Soaring No.1 at Cape Cod. The guidelines were revised and approved
by the Board of Trustees on 4 March 1993.
Purpose:
To identify and memorialize sites, individuals, or historic
events related to the national history of motorless flight; and in
the process collect, preserve and interpret documents and materials
related to each approved Landmark.
The description printed below are the actual words on the bronze markers.
An
attempt was made to list articles in regard to each specific Landmark
either describing the historical event or the current event being
honored. Articles can be found in magazines, contemporary local
newspapers besides those in the NSM Historical Journal or
SOARING Magazine.
No.
1 — 13 June 1981 Truro, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Ralph
S. Barnaby on a flight from Corn Hill of 15 minutes, 6 seconds became
the first American to win an international soaring certificate,
August 18, 1929. This flight was the first to exceed the American
record for motorless flight of 9 minutes, 45 seconds, set by Orville
Wright at Kitty Hawk, N.C., October 24, 1911.
No.
2 — 10 July 1982 Rhodes Farm, Elmira New York
Rhodes
Farm, this landmark stands on land that was part of the Rhodes Farm
from which the first Soaring Society of America sponsored National
Contest was held in July of 1932, and commemorates the support of
soaring by the community over the past 50 years.
No.
3 — 29 June 1983 Fulton Airport, Akron, Ohio
To
honor the pioneering spirit and enthusiasm of the citizens of Akron
who supported the significant advances to motorless flight from 1929
to 1936. A commemorative flight today re-enacts the first towed
glider flight 50 years ago from Akron to Columbus carrying U.S.Mail
in a Gross 4-Place glider.
(references)
No.
4 — 9 May 1992 Frankfort, Michigan
Frankfort,
Michigan, has been a soaring mecca since the early 1930s. The city is
the site of the sailplane company to manufacture the first designated
military training glider. The area has hosted two national soaring
meets and numerous midwest gliding contests.
No.
5 — 6 June 1992 Torrey Pines, San Diego, California
To
honor the spirit, ingenuity and enthusiasm of the pioneers who flew
gliders in the 1930s at Torrey Pines. And to the future pilots who
will share this glider port and continue this tradition through all
forms of motorless flight.
No.
6 — 17 September 1993 Waynesboro, Virginia
This
landmark was erected on the 60th anniversary of a record flight made
by Richard Chichester duPont in a Bowlus Albatross sailplane on
September 21, 1933. DuPont was launched from the Afton Mountain near
here and flew 121.6 miles to Frederick, Maryland. The marker is
dedicated to the people of Waynesboro and Augusta County who helped
to make these flights possible.
No.
7 — 27 April 1996 Point Loma, San Diego, California
Point
Loma. This landmark is dedicated to the pioneering spirits of the
pilots William Hawley Bowlus and Jack C. Barstow who made milestone
flights in glider history at this site. William Hawley Bowlus, first
American soaring flight to exceed one hour duration, 1 hour 21
minutes, October 19, 1929. John C. Barstow, duration flight of 15
hours 13 minutes, exceeding the world record, April 29-30, 1930.
No.
8 — 27 July 1996 Marquette Park, Miller Beach, Gary, Indiana.
Octave
Chanute arrived at Miller Beach, Gary, Indiana, on June 22, 1896, to
perform gliding flight experiments in the dunes just west of this
site. Over 700 successful flights provided him with significant
aerodynamic data. Chanute willingly shared his data enabling the
Wright brothers and other pioneers to develop powered flying
machines. This marker is dedicated to Chanute and his assistants
whose gliding experiments here helped make sustained flight a
reality.
No.
9 — 8 December 1996 Nuuanu Pail Lookout, Honolulu, Hawaii
An
international soaring record was established here on December 18,
1931. William A. Cocke, Jr. remained aloft in a glider called the
Nighthawk for 21 hours 34 minutes, a new U.S. and world
endurance record for motorless flight. Cocke’s Nighthawk
launched from the John Galt Gliderport, located a short distance
northeast of this marker. Illuminating the path for Cocke and his
Nighthawk along the cliff face during the night was the U.S.
Army’s 64th Coast Artillery Battery. This marker is dedicated to
the people of Hawaii who helped make this flight possible, and to the
thousands of glider pilots inspired by the feat.
No.
10 — 29 April 2000 Tejon Ranch, Arvin, California
Arvin-Sierra
Glider Port, 1937-1941. Located on the hills in front of you, on the
historic Tejon Ranch, the Arvin-Sierra Glider Port was the site for
the West Coast Soaring Championships. Many of America’s famous
glider pilots made record flights from here, soaring over the
mountains and into the desert. The contests were popular events to
pilots and public alike and the site became the most important glider
port in California. When World War II shut down activity here, those
star pilots became key to the war effort — as pilots,
scientists, engineers and builders of advanced aircraft. leaving an
aerospace legacy that exists today.
No.
11 — 1 July 2000 Harris Hill, Elmira New York
The
Chemung Valley's pioneering soaring sites of the early 1930's faced
many points of the compass. Take-off locations were selected daily to
face the predicted winds. Gliders were launched by bungee cord into
the wind so pilots could soar in the upward deflected air along the
ridges or glide over the valley to seek thermal updrafts. These
take-off sites and Caton Avenue Airport were the center of activity
until Harris Hill became the "Soaring Capital" in 1934.
This Landmark honors the Chemung County community and the pioneering
soaring pilots who flew here."
No.
12 — 15 June 2002 Bishop, California
[ Updated 11 April, 2002 ]
Fifty
years ago the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada was the site of
intense atmospheric research to explore the cause and dynamics of the
newly appreciated and powerful mountain wave phenomenon known locally
as the Sierra Wave. This Landmark honors the pioneering spirit of the
members of the two-year Sierra Wave Project: civilian glider pilots,
volunteers, Army, Air Force, Navy Personnel and UCLA Staff. Their
stratospheric flights were conducted under the inspiration and
guidance of the Southern California Soaring Association.
(references)
No.
13 — 01 November 2003 Starkville, Mississippi
[ Added 30 September, 2003 ]
Raspet Flight Research Laboratory,
Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi - This
Laboratory, established in 1948 under the guidance of Dr. August
Raspet, became a world class flight research and development facility
for sailplanes and powered aircraft, utilizing unconventional methods.
It was here that pioneering drag reduction and suction boundary layer
research was accomplished, propelling the United States to the world
leadership in sailplane design in the late 1950s. Dick Johnson's RJ-5
sailplane pointed the way with its glide ratio of 40:1. Inspiring a
wide range of individuals, this facility acted as a catalyst for
sailplane designers and builders the world over. The science of soaring
was advanced by the diverse and dedicated research efforts of
scientists and students at MSU.
Complete information
and
references
are available.
“
NSM News, National Landmark Program.” SOARING Magazine,
Nov 1980 p:7
“New
National Landmark Program.” NSM Quarterly Journal, vol 4
no 3 1981 p:6,7.
“A
Look Back, and a Glance Forward, the National Soaring Museum’s
National Landmark Program of Soaring Program.” SOARING
Magazine, May 2000, p:28-32
Short listing of publications