history

In the spring of 1969, a group of students and faculty members met for the purpose of starting a soaring club at Cypress College, in Cypress, California. After much discussion it was decided to start a club independent of the college because of the continuous problem of recruiting members and a very rapid turnover.Using information obtained from the SSA regarding clubs, it was decided to start a California corporation and to name it Cypress Soaring, Inc. The Articles of Incorporation were signed July 15, 1969, with ten members from Cypress College. Frank Railey was instrumental in getting the paperwork in order while working with the legal department at Hunt Foods where he was employed. Frank was the first Sec/Treasurer of the corporation and is now an attorney working in Orange County, California. Cypress Soaring was incorporated on July 15, 1969, with ten members from the college.

The first president of the club was Keith Bracht, who became a Captain with Federal Express and lives in Washington state. 

The search for an aircraft that would fill the club’s training requirements began a short time later. By November of 1969, Cypress Soaring was the proud owner of a Schweizer 2-22E. The 2-22 was rebuilt by the club members during the summer of 1970 at John Brittain’s house.

Hemet-Ryan Airport was chosen as the club’s home base because of the friendly and helpful attitude of Don and Lois Slotten, the operators of Sailplane Enterprises. They brought over their half of a glider operation from Perris Airport, Perris, CA to reduce the need to compete for airspace with the parachutes. Sailplane Enterprises continued operating at Hemet until late 2009 when the County of Riverside decided to no longer allow glider operations. During those 40 years of operation SE had several owners after the Slotten’s retired and moved to Canada.

Notable soaring pilots from Soaring Enterprises:

• Robert Harris who set an altitude record of 49,009 ft. in February of 1986 learned to fly gliders at SE in Hemet.
• Dan Pierson who was the subject of two articles in the February 2017 issue of Soaring Magazine learned to fly gliders and did most of his flying from Hemet.
• Forrest Blossom was a Director of the SSA in the late 70’s or early 80’s when the headquarters was in Santa Monica, CA. He flew gliders at Hemet.

Since no club member was a glider flight instructor, Don Slotten and Don Davis served as the first instructors. The first club member to become an instructor was John Brittain who served in that capacity for many years.

Over the years numerous members of Cypress Soaring were employed by Sailplane Enterprises as instructors, ride pilots, tow pilots or mechanics. The close relationship between Cypress Soaring and Sailplane Enterprises lasted for the forty years that Sailplane Enterprises operated as a glider operation at Hemet-Ryan Airport.

In the summer of 1973, the club expanded its membership to 20 and purchased a Schweizer 1-26 and a trailer. Both the 2-22 and 1-26 were purchased from Sailplane Enterprises. By December of 1973 the club members were restoring and recovering the 1-26.

Dick McClurg and Chuck Gifford had become club instructors around this time. In the fall of 1976, the club purchased a Schweizer 2-33 which Dick McClurg and Chuck Gifford had rebuilt.

Art Wallace joined Cypress Soaring in November of 1977. The club had about 20 members and was growing quickly to 25 members. A year or two later the club acquired its third glider, a Blanik L-13 from Jim Miller.

Over the past 50 years, Cypress Soaring has owned a Schweitzer 2-22, 2-33, 1-26, and 1-34, a SZD 51-1 Junior, a Standard Jantar, two Blanik L-13s, two Krosnos, a Blanik L-33 Solo, a PW-6 and a Discus. Recent additions to our fleet include a third Krosno, a PW-5, two Grob 103s (one sold to an eastern club) and a Grob 102, a Blanik L-13. Our most recent major purchase was a Cessna 182 tow plane, based at Hemet-Ryan Airport.

For forty years, the club operated well at Hemet-Ryan, until the fall of 2009. Sailplane Enterprises had changed ownership since the Slotten’s sold the FBO, and the ownership in 2009 decided to close and liquidate all Sailplane Enterprise’s assets. Concurrently, the County of Riverside and the Hemet-Ryan airport management and Cal Trans decreed that sailplanes would no longer be allowed access to the airport.

A legal challenge by the Orange Country Soaring Association was brought before the FAA to dispute this degree, which eventually ended in favor of the soaring community. During this period, both Cypress Soaring and the Orange Country Soaring Association were required to relocated off the Hemet-Ryan Airport. Cypress Soaring members pitched in and moved several Ensign hangars, its entire fleet of gliders and trailers to Krey Field, near El Mirage Dry Lake in the high desert west of Victorville.

When the county forced the closing of glider operations at Hemet in 2009, Cypress Soaring was forced to move where towing services could be found. Krey field near Victorville, CA was the base of operations for several years until its owner, John Krey passed away and the field was closed. Lake Elsinore was then used until the club was able to purchase a C-182 tow plane and find the county willing to allow glider operations back at Hemet-Ryan in 2016. An article written by member, Gary Timbs was published in the February 2017 issue of Soaring Magazine.

While based there, the club bought and rebuilt one of John Krey’s Schweizer 2-33s. The club operated out of Krey Field until the passing of John Krey in March of 2014, after which the family decided to no longer provide Krey Field for use as a gliderport.  A nomad club once again, Cypress Soaring disbursed its fleet to two different gliderports, thanks to the generosity of their operators. The club had gliders tied down and operated from both Crystalaire Airport, with thanks to the Southern California Soaring Academy, and at Lake Elsinore’s Skylark Field, with thanks to the Lake Elsinore Soaring Club.

The unfortunate demise of two long-time southern California soaring clubs resulted in their donating their gliders to Cypress Soaring as those clubs wound down their legal status. The sale of one of those donated gliders put Cypress Soaring in the position of being able to purchase its own tow plane, a Cessna 182, which began towing for the club in 2017. The 182 allowed the club to resume regular operations again at Hemet-Ryan in 2017, for the first time in many years. Cypress Soaring now has its base of operations permanently located at Hemet-Ryan, with a glider fleet that includes a PW-5, a PW-6, Grob 103, two Krosnos, a Schweizer 1-34, and a Discus B.