Paul Campobasso
Chief Flight Instructor 

What’s your best story involving a student?
​Sometimes, students will ask the instructor to take control to demonstrate something or they may just want to take a break. Apparently during one training session the student decided he was tired of flying and just stopped... without telling me! The glider flew for a minute or two without anyone on the controls. I asked if he was going to correct the speed and bank angle, and that's when I found out he wasn't flying anymore! Needless to say, I took, the controls. 

What song do you sing to yourself while flying solo?
I never sing in aircraft. If I accidentally keyed the mic, I might lose my license!

What’s your longest flight in a glider?
​I fly power planes and gliders. Most of the power planes I fly would have to land and refuel to span my longest glider flight, a mere 5.5 hours. I was flying so high my feet were frozen and I really needed to use a restroom!

Tom Binger

Jack Shelton 

How did you become interest in flying and in gliders?
I fly because Dad flew.  I started right after I learned to drive and never stopped, 40 years running!  Gliders came along while stationed in Texas; a couple of flights and I was hooked - went right to the commercial/CFIG checkride and started teaching.  Flying a glider is pure aviation at its absolute best - no agenda but having fun and learning, no destination other than the next cloudbase or the home ‘drome, no mission besides self-imposed goals.

What song do you sing to yourself while flying solo?
“Treetop Flyer” by Steven Stills.  Is there another more worthy?

What advice would you give a student pilot? 
Best advice:  Persevere, bust through the frustrations, and read. A lot. Did I mention reading?