July 6-13, 2024
2024 marked the 8th International Vintage Sailplane Meet (IVSM) and the Vintage Sailplane Association’s 50th anniversary. The IVSM is the premier vintage sailplane meet in the United States. Since 1995 it has featured the largest number of vintage sailplanes on display and flying at one spot on the North American continent.
This year over 2 dozen vintage gliders made it to Harris Hill for the event. Several of them were trailered in from the west coast. Some 40 pilots registered to participate and an estimated 140 participants and visitors enjoyed the flying and events. The international community was well-represented with groups from the United Kingdom, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Canada. Mornings featured a “sailplane of the day” and talks about a wide variety of glider history topics. Other than two weather days (one rainy and one windy), afternoons saw the skies over Harris Hill filled with vintage (and a few modern) gliders. Flying conditions were great and many pilots enjoyed long flights over the hills and valleys of New York State. Local food trucks added some great variety at lunch time. Evening festivities included an “International Evening” with food and drink from around the world, our traditional “Low Country Boil” organized by Mary and Jim Stoia, a tour and dinner at K&L Soaring, and the Friday night Awards Dinner and Banquet at the National Soaring Museum.
The International Vintage Sailplane Meet was made possible through the collaboration of the Harris Hill Soaring Corporation (HHSC) the National Soaring Museum (NSM) and the Vintage Sailplane Association (VSA). The National Soaring Museum provided its elegant museum facilities atop Harris Hill and handled registration, information, meeting venues, gathering spaces and weeklong activities. The HHSC provided flying operations, tows, check rides and introductory flights for visitors, from its home on the scenic, world-famous Harris Hill Gliderport. The VSA marshalled its members to acquire, restore, refurbish and fly their gliders during the meet and organized a fascinating slate of speakers and displays.
