What gliding costs in the United States
34 clubs, taken from their own published price lists. Every figure links to the page it came from and carries the date we checked it.
The 2,000 ft tow
$40
median
$34–$63.5
range
From the 22 of 34 clubs here that publish a price at 2,000 ft, or a formula we could work through. The other 12 publish tow prices differently or not at all, and are left out of this figure rather than scaled into it — stretching a 3,000 ft price down to 2,000 ft would invent a number the club never quoted.
| Club | Where | Joining | Dues | Tow to 2,000 ft | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Area Soaring Associates | California | $450 | $120/mo | not published | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Associate dues cover unlimited use of club ships. Sponsor members, who buy a membership from a retiring member, pay $60/month. Tow and instruction rates are not published. | |||||
| Northern California Soaring Association | California | $1090 | $760/yr | $40 * | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Published as $2.00 per 100 feet, effective 07/10/2023. The 2,000 ft figure is that rate worked through.
Dues are published quarterly at $190; the annual figure is four of those. The joining figure combines a $1,000 membership participation fee and a $90 application fee, both published separately. Private owners, juniors and family members pay $80 quarterly. A trial membership is $120. |
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| Colorado Soaring Association | Colorado | $350 | $65/mo | $50.5 * | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Published as a base of $14.50 plus $1.80 per 100 ft for a single occupant (higher for two, or with water ballast; students and instructors take $3 off). The 2,000 ft figure is that formula worked through.
Glider rental is published per minute rather than per hour. Instruction is arranged directly between student and instructor, so the club publishes no rate. SSA membership is required and collected by the club. |
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| High Flights Soaring Club | Colorado | $200 | $50/mo | not published | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Youth dues are $25/month with the initiation waived, in exchange for ground-crew duty twice a month. The club publishes a typical member flight cost of about $55 but no tow rate by height. | |||||
| Brandywine Soaring Association | Delaware | $500 | $65/mo | not published | 06 Sep 2026 |
| The only tow price published is $44 for a 3,000 ft tow, so no 2,000 ft figure appears here. Non-resident members (100+ miles away) pay $35/month on the same initiation; youth pay $35/month with a $250 initiation. Instruction is included beyond tow fees. | |||||
| Tampa Bay Soaring Society | Florida | $800 | $500/yr | $40 * | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Published as $1.00 per 100 ft plus a $20.00 surcharge. The 2,000 ft figure is that formula worked through; the club's own worked example gives $50 at 3,000 ft, which matches.
Dues are published semiannually at $250; the annual figure is two of those. Family membership is $125 semiannually with a $400 initiation. There is no rental charge for club gliders for the first hour. |
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| Mid-Georgia Soaring Association | Georgia | $500 | $450/yr | not published | 06 Sep 2026 |
| The club describes tows as "about $50 to 2000 feet" - an approximation rather than a published rate, so it is quoted here and left out of the table column and the median. Full members also put up a $500 refundable capital note, or pay $50/year instead. Family and student dues are $225. | |||||
| Illini Glider Club | Illinois | not published | $500/yr | $40 | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Youth membership is published at $300 and family at $250. SSA membership is required of all flying members. No initiation fee is published. | |||||
| SoarIndy | Indiana | $500 | $60/mo | $36 | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Youth members (under 22) pay $15/month with a $200 initiation. Instruction is donated by club members. | |||||
| Eastern Iowa Gliders | Iowa | not published | $600/yr | not published | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Published as $680 including $80 SSA dues; the figure here is the club portion. Student and youth membership is $145 including $45 SSA dues, and cadet membership is free. Instruction is free. Tow rates are not published. | |||||
| Greater Boston Soaring Club | Massachusetts | $600 | $750/yr | $46 * | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Published as a $14 hookup charge plus $1.60 per 100 ft with a 1,200 ft minimum. The 2,000 ft figure is that formula worked through.
Family/student dues are published at $550, junior at $100. |
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| Sandhill Soaring Club | Michigan | not published | not published | $36 * | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Published as a $26 minimum aerotow charge with releases above 1,000 ft charged at $1.00 per additional 100 ft. The 2,000 ft figure is that formula worked through.
Instruction is provided free by the club's volunteer CFIGs. The dues table on the club's page did not render as text when checked, so dues are left blank rather than guessed — worth confirming with the club. |
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| Omaha Soaring Club | Nebraska | $500 | not published | $35 | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Youth initiation is published at $250. Glider rental carries a 30-minute minimum of $10. The club publishes SSA dues but not its own annual dues. | |||||
| Nevada Soaring Association | Nevada | $250 | $550/yr | not published | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Dues drop to $450 if paid before 1 February. Family, glider-owner and military initiation is $125; student is $50. Glider use is $30 per day for non-instructional flights rather than an hourly rate. Tow rates are not published. | |||||
| Aero Club Albatross | New Jersey | $1000 | $138/yr | $42 | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Rates shown are the reduced season-pass rate; the season pass is published at $250. SSA dues of $80 are quoted separately.
Initiation fee may be paid over four years at $250/year. The club states there are no glider rental fees or per-flight costs other than the tow. |
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| Albuquerque Soaring Club | New Mexico | $500 | $50/mo | $46 * | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Published as a $16 hookup fee plus $1.50 per 100 ft. The 2,000 ft figure is that formula worked through.
The initiation fee includes a flight. Associate and tow-pilot-only membership is $20/month. |
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| Adirondack Soaring Association | New York | $650 | $25/mo | $40 | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* The club's rate table carries the date 4/26/22.
Membership fee is non-refundable and is charged on top of monthly dues. Instruction is described as complimentary for regular, long-distance and junior members. SSA dues quoted separately. |
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| Finger Lakes Soaring Club | New York | $550 | $55/mo | $36 * | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Published as $18.00 per 1,000 feet. The 2,000 ft figure is that rate worked through.
One of the few clubs here publishing a winch price. Juniors pay $10/month with a $100 initiation and a flat $12 tow until solo. Long-distance membership is $15/month. Instructors volunteer their time. |
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| Nutmeg Soaring Association | New York | $500 | $1100/yr | $38 | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* The club publishes tow prices in altitude bands; $38 covers 1,600-2,000 ft. A ground rope break is $15 and an airborne one $35.
First-year members pay $500 plus $50/month; the $1,100 figure is the regular full-member annual rate thereafter. Youth membership is $600 and associate is $100. |
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| Valley Soaring Club | New York | not published | not published | $34 | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Rates carry the date March 2025 and are for active, family and associate members; juniors pay $20 for a 2,000 ft tow and roughly half the rental rates. Instruction is charged at the glider's hourly rate plus tow. Dues are not published on the rates page. | |||||
| Carolina Soaring Association | North Carolina | $250 | $82/mo | $50.4 * | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Published as a $7 hookup fee plus $2.17 per 100 ft. The 2,000 ft figure is that formula worked through.
One of the few clubs here that both winch-launches and publishes the price. Club glider use is free. Youth membership is $22/month on the same initiation. Instruction is arranged directly with the instructor. |
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| Piedmont Soaring Society | North Carolina | $1000 | $55/mo | $45 | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Published directly at $45 for 2,000 ft AGL. The club also publishes a formula ($20 hookup + $1.00/100 ft up to 1,000 ft; $30 + $1.25/100 ft above), which does not arrive at the same figure - the published $45 is used here on the principle that a quoted price beats a derived one.
Half the initiation is refundable within the first year. Glider use is included in monthly dues and instruction is free. Youth dues are $20/month. |
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| Caesar Creek Soaring Club | Ohio | $1000 | $38/mo | not published | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Full members must also buy at least twelve $100 shares in the Soaring Society of Dayton, which can be bought over time; members holding fewer than twelve pay $5/month instead. Initiation may be split as $500 at joining plus five monthly payments of $100. Tow prices are not published on the membership page. | |||||
| Cleveland Soaring Society | Ohio | not published | not published | $40 | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Instruction is published per flight rather than per hour. A low-altitude training rope break is $25. Members pay no glider usage or rental fee. Annual dues are not published on this page. | |||||
| Hood River Soaring | Oregon | $500 | $500/yr | not published | 06 Sep 2026 |
| SSA dues are quoted alongside club dues on the club's page; the figure here is the club portion only and is worth confirming with the club. Family dues are published at $250 and youth at $250, both with a $250 initiation. Tow pilots may donate 20 tows in place of the initiation fee. Tow prices are not published. | |||||
| Mid-Atlantic Soaring Association | Pennsylvania | $1000 | $695/yr | not published | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Initiation is published as $500 at joining with the balance after one year. Youth membership is half price with a $500 initiation. Tow prices live on a separate rates page and are not published here. | |||||
| Pittsburgh Soaring Association | Pennsylvania | not published | $60/mo | $35 * | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Published as $25 for hook up plus $5 per 1,000 ft. The 2,000 ft figure is that formula worked through and matches the club's own 4,000 ft example.
A one-time buy-in is required but the amount is not published; the club says to plan on roughly $500 for a full member, about half for youth or senior. Family dues are $70/month and junior $25/month. |
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| Fault Line Flyers | Texas | $600 | $46/mo | $35 | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Student membership is $13/month with a $100 initiation. Glider use is published per minute; instruction is arranged with the instructor at nominally $15/hour or $5 per flight. | |||||
| Soaring Club of Houston | Texas | not published | not published | not published | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Rental is published per minute; the hourly figures here are that rate times sixty. Instructors provide their services at no charge to members. Dues and tow rates are in a linked document rather than on the page. | |||||
| Utah Soaring Association | Utah | $500 | $875/yr | not published | 06 Sep 2026 |
| Tow prices are given as approximations - about $75 to 2,500 ft, about $40 for pattern tows - rather than a published rate, so they are quoted here and left out of the table column and the median. A 90-day introductory membership is $150 and includes two hours of glider use. Associate membership is $425. | |||||
| Puget Sound Soaring Association | Washington | $550 | $960/yr | $51.7 * | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Published as $36 for the first 1,000 ft AGL plus $1.57 per additional 100 ft. The 2,000 ft figure is that formula worked through. A release below 500 ft AGL is published at $24.
The joining figure combines a $50 initiation and a $500 one-time club membership, both published separately. Family and youth dues are $480. Instructors and tow pilots pay no dues. |
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| Seattle Glider Council | Washington | not published | $120/yr | $63.5 * | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Published for 2026 as $56 per tow covering the first 1,500 ft AGL plus $1.50 per 100 ft above that. The 2,000 ft figure is that formula worked through. There is also a $160 annual towplane fixed-cost fee.
Low dues with a high tow price and a separate annual towplane fee - a different structure from most clubs here, and a good illustration of why ranking on any single column misleads. Youth membership is $60, family $40, lifetime $1,500. |
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| Red Wing Soaring Association | Wisconsin | $900 | $700/yr | not published | 06 Sep 2026 |
| The membership purchase may be paid over two years, $600 then $300. Family dues are $750 on the same buy-in; inactive membership is $100. Tow prices are described as varying by altitude but no rate is published, and instruction is negotiated directly with instructors. | |||||
| Wisconsin Soaring Society | Wisconsin | $250 | $35/mo | $45 * | 06 Sep 2026 |
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* Published as $32.00 to 1,000 ft plus $1.30 per additional 100 ft, valid as of 1 April 2025. The 2,000 ft figure is that formula worked through.
Sailplane owners pay reduced dues of $30/month. Junior members pay half. Instruction carries a one-hour minimum per session. |
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* Calculated from the club's own published tow formula, not quoted at that height by the club. Dues are club dues only — Nearly every US club requires SSA membership on top of club dues. SSA full membership is published separately by the SSA and is not included in any club figure below.
Reading this table
Do not rank these clubs by any single column. A high joining fee at a club with cheap tows and free instruction is a good deal for someone who intends to fly every weekend for a decade, and a bad one for someone who wants to try it for a season. Several clubs here charge nothing at all for instruction, which is worth more than a $10 difference in tow price if you are learning.
Blanks are honest. A blank means the club does not publish that figure on its website, not that it is free and not that we could not be bothered. Ask the club — every one of them will tell you.
Method
Every figure on this page comes from the club's own public website on the date shown beside it. This is a census of published prices, not a survey: no club was asked to fill anything in, nothing is averaged from memory, and a club that does not publish a number simply has a blank. Clubs that publish a tow formula rather than a price at 2,000 ft are marked as calculated, with the formula shown. Club dues are listed separately from SSA national dues. Prices change; if a row is wrong, tell us and we will fix it.
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