Greater Boston Soaring Club (GBSC) is a community of aviation enthusiasts who come together to share the joy of gliding. The club provides a supportive environment for both aspiring and experienced pilots to pursue their passion. By pooling resources, members make flying gliders in Massachusetts affordable and sustainable.
Soaring
The primary mission of GBSC is to provide instruction in the art of glider flying. The club has 18 instructors with decades of flying and instruction experience. Instructors, like all club members, are volunteers and instruction is free. We foster continuous learning and skill development. Members benefit from sharing experiences, mentorship, and regular interactions with pilots of various backgrounds and expertise.
For many pilots, earning a pilot’s license is just the beginning. Cross-country flying, using the vast energy in the atmosphere to fly for hours without an engine to locations hundreds of miles away and making it back to the home airport, becomes a passion full of learning and new challenges. The club has many experienced cross-country pilots who mentor those starting their cross-country journey.
Social
The club creates opportunities for social connection and adventure such as encampments to other soaring locations, cookouts at the airfield, aviation-themed social events, online and in person meetings, working on club maintenance projects together, and often group dinners after the soaring day is done. The club environment makes flying a shared experience. It offers encouragement and networking opportunities to students; licensed pilots stay current and motivated by flying with others.
Background
GBSC is a non-profit organization with over 100 members, mostly from central New England. Based at Sterling Airport, the club owns a broad glider and towplane fleet. We have scheduled operations on weekends and holidays, from early April through November from 10 AM to late afternoon/early evening. We also have members initiating unscheduled operations on weekdays when the weather shows promise for good flying. We also have a Juniors Program for training teenagers to fly gliders.
Introductory Flights
If experiencing the serenity of soaring flight above the beautiful Massachusetts countryside sounds exciting to you, visit us for a day at Sterling Airport and take an introductory flight for only $140. Click HERE if you are interested in an introductory flight.
Glider operations restart in May 2026. See you soon.