The Soaring Safety Foundation (SSF) is the Training and Safety arm of the Soaring Society of America (SSA). Our mission is to provide instructors and pilots with the tools needed to teach/learn both the stick & rudder skills and the Aeronautical Decision Making skills needed to safely fly a glider. We also provide information and analysis of incident and accident trends in order to develop better training tools.
Data collected from Open Glider Network (OGN) as of Sunday March 16, 2025
Duration | Gliders | Flights | Hours |
---|---|---|---|
Year to Date   | 1550 | 7319 | 7316.57 |
Last 7 Days   | 535 | 1867 | 2091.49 |
This table shows the number of individual gliders that recorded a flight in the OGN tracking system ant the number of flights/hours those gliders flew.
Flight Training
Videos
and Scenario Database
These videos are introductory in nature and are geared to learning to soar, or a new soaring skill.
Flight Safety
Videos
and Incident Database
These videos are safety oriented and appropriate for glider pilots of any skill level.
Visit the Soaring Safety Foundation's Youtube Channel
The SSA's YouTube Video Playlist
The Soaring Incident Database is now available to help pilots, safety officers, clubs, and commercial operators develop new programs that can help prevent incidents from becoming major accidents. See more incidents by searching the database or register a new incident.
Region | Pilot Certificate | Pilot Injuries | Passenger Injuries | Type of Flight | Launch Method | Type of Aircraft | |
East | CFI | None | None | CrossCountry | Aero Tow | ||
Incident Activity | Damage to Aircraft | Damage to Canopy | Incident Date | Incident Time | Weather | SSA Member | |
Flight | None | 2021-03-24 | 1600-1800 | Clear | Yes | ||
Incident Description | While taxiing clear of runway after landing, applied brake too hard while turning, resulting in groundloop at approx 20 kts. Severe damage to ego. | ||||||
Other Comments | Don't brake aggressively while turning. Don't get so focused on stopping at a particular (convenient) point that exceeds safe stopping limits. |
Find out more about the Soaring Safety Foundation: (trustees, mission, By-Laws, or Contact us by email).