Harris Hill, near Elmira, is in Big Flats, New York, and is the glider-soaring capital of America. It is smack in the middle of the Finger Lakes. With an elevation of 1,709 feet above sea level, the view is spectacular, and winds are all but guaranteed. The location is perfect for so many reasons.

The most important reason is updrafts. Prevailing winds blow across the area’s valleys and into the hillsides, creating pockets of air that rise and push gliders aloft. The glider design makes it efficient, flying on pockets of thermals and slowly descending. If the pilot can locate an updraft, he can stay in the sky.

Soaring Into the Wild Blue New York Sky

Harris Hill Soaring Corporation is a center with flight training, demonstrations, glider rides, and a museum. Because of the location and those updrafts, Harris Hill allows a sailplane (or glider) to attain high altitudes and exceptionally long flights.

How far can you fly (or glide)? In March 2024, Harris Hill pilot Noah Reitter had strong northwest winds. He flew from Big Flats 60 miles south to Williamsport, down Appalachian ridges to Cumberland, Maryland, and back to Williamsport twice. He finally landed at Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania. That trip was a total of 641 miles and lasted 7 hours and 18 minutes. Like they say—no engine? No problem.

Glider pilots are all members at Harris Hill and are FAA-certified to give rides to the public. With your pilot, you’ll soar above the beautiful patchwork quilt that is Chemung County in a two-seater Shleicher ASK-21 sailplane. I flew with Pilot Chris Butler and have the certificate to prove it! Chris was knowledgeable and pointed out landmarks as we flew. He also asked if I liked roller coasters. My immediate “NO!” told him what a chicken I am, so he kept that plane nice and level. My photos are sharp, proving just how smooth a motorless flight is.

Harris Hill History

Elmira played host to the first national soaring competitions, home to the competition from 1930 to 1946.

Few people realize that during World War II, gliders were used to land equipment and troops silently behind enemy lines, remaining undetected. At the start of the war, the U. S. Army Air Corps immediately selected Elmira’s Harris Hill as the first glider pilot training program. Perhaps the Army’s idea was borrowed from Germany’s use of gliders, in use as the only aircraft allowed them by the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I.

No Engine—No Problem

No engine, no gas, no propeller; gliders fly using air power. Throughout history, gliders have been pulled by ropes manhandled by teams on foot, pulled by motor vehicles (usually a truck with a winch mounted in the bed), “shot” into the sky off the top of a hill using multi-strand rubber bungee straps; even launched by a hot air balloon. The earliest recorded glider flight that carried an adult was in 1853 when Sir George Cayley launched a fixed-wing glider using galloping horses.

Fortunately, today’s glider launches are not so labor-intensive; they are pulled into the air by a small prop plane, using a tow rope you’d use for water skiing. The airplane tugs your glider into the air. Then, when the desired altitude and speed are reached, the rider (me!) pulls the handle to release that tether to the mother ship—and off you soar—just like an eagle.

Harris Hill Soaring History

The WPA (Works Projects Administration) of the 1930s was a program designed to provide training and jobs during the Depression. The WPA constructed Harris Hill Park in Chemung County, building hangars, a glider port, youth camp, cabins to house pilots and crews, and an administration building. That field and its runway are still operating, stretching across the hilltop in front of the museum.

Harris Hill is one of the oldest glider clubs in the country, offering rides to the public. It is also one of the largest clubs, filled with members with years or even decades of experience. Those experienced pilots are training young enthusiasts who will become the pilots of tomorrow.

Harris Hill offers flying lessons; adults can earn a pilot’s license in under twelve months. The organization boasts that its junior program is the best in the nation. Juniors can fly before they can drive, soloing as early as 14. Juniors work assigned shifts, taking calls, running along, and balancing the wings of gliders under tow, all to earn free flight instructions. They also pay reduced rental fees when flying club-owned sailplanes, all while under the watchful eye of senior members who always emphasize safety.

Harris Hill Soaring Club boasts junior members who are now commercial pilots, sailplane competitors, and professionals in the field of aviation.

Another historical tidbit is that Schweizer Aircraft Corporation manufactured over half of the sailplanes built in America during the 1930s-1950s. Their headquarters was in Horseheads.

National Soaring Museum

The National Soaring Museum is one of only two museums in the United States focusing on motorless flying machines. Elmira is considered the Soaring Capital of America due to the role soaring has held there for over 80 years. Associations hold contests, conferences, lectures, and other events in the area, boosting the community’s social and economic aspects.

In 1969, the Soaring Society of America (SSA) designated Harris Hill as the location for the new National Soaring Museum. It is now more than 3,700 square feet across the driveway from the Harris Hill airfield. In 1972, the state of New York chartered the museum as an educational institution. It soon funded the construction of a new 16,000-square-foot facility.

Over the years, 15,000 square feet have been added to the building, which now holds the world’s most extensive collection of motorless aircraft. Today, there are exhibits, SSA archives, the U. S. Soaring Hall of Fame, a gift shop, and a community room that can be rented for special events.

We toured the museum with Director Trafford Doherty. He is a man passionate about soaring and history. Doherty was able to share stories about every exhibit, making you suspect he was actually there. The wings on this wall look remarkably like those sketched by Leonardo da Vinci as he studied birds and designed flying machines in the 15th century.

Leonardo da Vinci is often cited as a prominent historical figure who extensively designed flying machines based on his studies of birds,

Museum exhibits include dioramas that help illustrate how gliding in sailplanes has developed over the years. One explanation of how sailplanes were used during WWII was especially interesting. The “snatch pick-up system” was a method of retrieving gliders from rough terrain, perhaps carrying wounded soldiers or prisoners. Studying this diorama made me wonder if this was the original idea for tail hooks used on aircraft carriers. History is so fascinating!

Soaring Contests

Once the new museum opened, national soaring contests soon returned to Harris Hill. Since 1998, pilots have competed for national honors. In 1995 the National Soaring Museum and Harris Hill Soaring Club hosted the first-ever United States-held International Vintage Sailplane Meet. During that 10-day event, over 5,000 pilots from many corners of the globe climbed into 1930s-, 40s-, and 50s-era gliders and soared off Harris Hill.

Since then, the museum has hosted the event five more times, solidifying the museum’s place as the historical institution for motorless flight in the U. S. Today, there are more than 29,000 registered U. S. pilots of sailplanes.

More Nearby Aviation Museums Worth Visiting

A stay in Elmira or Hammondsport makes it possible to spend days exploring the history of flight. After visiting the Soaring Museum, the Curtiss Museum is a great next stop on your tour.

The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport is situated near Keuka Lake. It has a remarkable collection of early aircraft, antique boats, automobiles, bicycles, and motorcycles. It also holds exhibits telling the story of motorized airships. Curtiss earned the moniker “fastest man alive” in 1907, setting a record of 136.36 miles per hour on his V-8-powered 40-horsepower motorcycle in Ormond Beach, Florida.

Meanwhile, 1904, balloonist Tom Baldwin created a small pedal-motorized powered airship. Today, we refer to that airship as a dirigible.

Then, also near Elmira, in Horseheads, there is the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center. The center exhibits a variety of aircraft and replicas, missiles, flight simulators, and other exciting displays in the 25,000-square-foot hangar. You can take a docent-led tour or wander at your own pace. Wings Café is a convenient spot to have lunch before inspecting the outside exhibits.

Wings of Eagles also holds STEM events and camps that support the educational mission of school systems to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The camps are held during school breaks for summer and holidays.

Where to Eat

Ill Eagle Taphouse in Elmira spreads through the main floor of a historic Federal Building. The bar carries an array of local wines, beers, and spirits to serve alongside their food. The menu boasts an impressive list of sandwiches, wraps, paninis, flatbreads, and salads. And that’s just the lunch menu. For dinner, there are shareables, more sandwich choices, tacos, pizzas, additional salads, and French Onion Soup. Four of us ordered four different plates, and not a scrap was left behind

The Park Inn Restaurant in Hammondsport is between two other businesses owned by the same people, the Park Inn and Crooked Lake Ice Cream Parlor (which also serves breakfast to a packed house.) Executive Chefs David Tarr and Kevin Cornwall create art on a plate. Their dishes are colorful and made with surprising ingredients. The same group owns Glenn Scott Farm, which provides organic produce to the restaurant, and Point of the Bluff Vineyards. Farm-to-table is a significant movement, and creating wine, in addition, is downright impressive. In fact, the food was so good, our group ate there twice.

Where to Sleep

The Park Inn in Hammondsport is a short walk up the hill from Keuka Lake. The inn, built in the 1850s, is the oldest building on the Village Square. The boutique hotel’s five rooms are all suites, but there is no elevator, so be prepared to carry luggage up one flight. When you check into your room, you’ll find some treats to enjoy, a comfortable sofa, a cute ’fridge, and room to spread out.

Hampton Inn Elmira in Horseheads is near the Elmira-Corning Airport and only 12 miles from Corning. Managers Christopher and Amanda will ensure you have a warm greeting when you arrive and a comfy place to lay your head. The buffet is set up and ready for your breakfast each morning, and there is an ample stack of muffins that get my day off to a great start.

Where to Go on Your Next Trip

For more exciting trips, try some of my favorite wine-filled locations. Plan a trip to Corning and the Finger Lakes to visit as many wineries for tastings as possible, or make a road trip from the Roanoke Valley of Virginia to North Carolina’s beautiful Yadkin Valley Wineries, or jet off to California to explore Sonoma County’s wine country!