Williams Soaring Center

WOW! What a great experience this was. I went up to Williams last week for a glider ride and it was amazing. It was only a 40 minute drive from Sacramento and well worth it. I did the 30 minute glider ride but it felt like so much longer. Once I got over the initial butterflies, I was able to relax and enjoy the views of Sutter Buttes and Mt Lassen. My pilot, Ed, was very informative and shared stories about the history of gliders, you could tell he is very passionate about his craft. I highly recommend trying this out, it won’t disappoint!

The customer service was fantastic. Everyone who worked there was warm and helpful. Crazy Ed was our pilot, he took us up in the air and gave a little bit of information on the history of the surrounding area and what we were looking at. The ride itself fun too. It was a bit loud because of the wind shooting through the glider, but it was a great experience. The only negative things were the scenery (there wasn’t much to look at other than rice fields) and my husband and I weren’t used to being so high in an enclosed space (we got a little sick). The customer service made everything great though.

Williams Soaring Center is very impressive across the board. The staff is ultra friendly, down-​to-​earth, and they were cracking jokes with my husband and I during our entire visit. Being a gliding novice I really didn’t have any idea as to what to expect on our ride. We did a two-​person gliding ride and we had a ball. Our pilot, Crazy Ed, told us all about the process of gliding and was very responsive to all our questions. The take off was so fun, watching the small plane take off and pull us along. When the plane got to an altitude that was safe to let us go there was a fun little dip and then we were off. We did a bit of mellow cruising, taking in the beautiful view. Then it was time for the optional «roller coaster» cruising. Ed was turning the glider every which way and it was way better than any roller coaster I’ve ever been on. I’m pretty sure I had a wide grin plastered on my face the whole time. I would recommend Williams Soaring Center to anyone and I can’t wait to go back for another gliding adventure!

This was a lot of fun, and something new to try. I found them because of the Living Social coupon. I got the 2 person flight for $ 50, usually $ 100. It was a 20 minute flight in a glider at 3000 feet.
I really had no idea what to expect. We took the drive out to Williams from Rancho Cordova. Google Maps said 45 minutes, be it was really closer to an hour plus, so give yourself a little extra time.
The staff was friendly and informative. I was a little nervous about the weight limit for the 2 person glider (350 lbs combined) because between the two of us we were about a biscuit too heavy. (Hey! It was right after the holidays… I was still swollen from all that eggnog.)
Anyway, the lady at the front desk was sweet and told us that the limit was there for comfort of the passengers, not for safely. So we poured ourselves into the sardine can of a plane, and laughed while doing it. It really wasn’t a problem once you figure out how to position yourself. Don’t take this trip with someone unless you’re in the mood to cuddle, just a little hint there.
The pilot was very friendly and was happy to talk about soaring, techniques, trips he’d taken, what we were looking at, what all the nobs and do-​dads did… I’m sure he would have cut the chatter if we wanted him to, but my husband was like a kid in a candy store and wanted to know every detail. We both enjoyed the experience. Take off and landing made my stomach flip over a little, but nothing too severe. The flight itself was very calming and pretty quiet, what with no engine and all. I felt safe and I would recommend it to someone who wants to try something new.

The place to fly in Northern California for beginning soaring pilots, and experienced cross country pilots. For new pilots, Williams provides an all glass fleet with ships up to Open Class performance for rent. Instructors has deep experience, and the best is the social side, with the Valley Soaring Association (
) holding seminars, racing series and evening dinners. For rides, the gliders are clean and safe. For boys, this is the place to learn about handling airplanes and the basics of flying. See pics on some of the cloudscapes.

A world-​class aviation/​gliding/​soaring operation in Northern California.
Learn to fly, soar silently over our beautiful California landscape or blow your mind twisting wildly in an aerobatic soaring adventure.
Williams Soaring is the best place to go to learn to fly sailplanes or just go for a ride. More than 30+ years in the aviation business, Williams is the place to begin your soaring adventures.
Surrounding the Mayes family is an enormous community of soaring enthusiasts who will welcome you into their «flying family».