Planning for the 2004 Seminar at Harris Hill (by Elizabeth Brock)
Hi Everyone! Harris Hill is looking forward to hosting the 2004 Women Soaring Pilots Seminar! Please read the below and refer to the Seminar Application in this issue of Hanger Soaring. There will be a Welcome Reception for WSPA at the Harris Hill membership meeting at 7 PM Sunday June 6th.
Transportation & Accommodation
The best option would be to fly directly into Elmira/Corning Regional Airport (ELM). Major carriers are US Airways and NorthWest. Binghamton Airport (BGM) is approximately 1 hour east of Elmira and is serviced by Delta and United and other carriers. Rochester, NY (ROC) is a larger airport (many airlines), but the drive to Elmira will be approximately 2½ hours. If you want to fly into New York City, rent a car and drive to the Finger Lakes, plan on 5-6 hours. If you want to combine this trip with a visit to Niagara Falls, you could fly into Buffalo (BUF) – the drive to Elmira will be about 3 ½ hours.
A limited number of Harris Hill members may be offering guest rooms in their homes. These will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and you would be expected to provide your own transportation to and from the glider field. If you are interested, be sure to indicate so on the application. There are a variety of comfortable hotels around the Mall area is at the base of the ridge 5-7 minutes from the glider port (and 2-3 minutes from ELM airport).
At the top of the price range is the Hilton Garden Inn ($130-$150; tel 607-795-1111). I personally find the place a bit pricey, but they do have nice facilities and services. For more details, visit their website at www.elmiracorning.gardeninn.com.
There are a couple of choices in the midrange. The Country Inn & Suites ($70-$135; tel 607-739-9205) is a bit hidden behind the mall, but I find it the coziest of all the places I visited. They provide a complimentary continental breakfast and internet access. Check out their website at www.countryinns.com/bigflatsny. Also in the midrange is the EconoLodge ($55-75; tel 607-739-2000). They offer a continental breakfast and a courtesy van to & from the airport. If you don’t have your own transportation, then you may prefer this spot because it is within easy walking distance of several shops, restaurants and a Barnes & Noble bookstore. Go to their website at www.EconoLodge.Com and search for their Elmira, NY location.
Finally, behind Lowe’s and El Monte’s restaurant are a limited number of small, basic rooms at the Relax Inn ($35-$50; tel 607-739-5611). No web site, but address is 45 Fisherville Rd., Elmira, NY 14903. Rooms do come with continental breakfast, small microwave & fridge and phone.
Flying at Harris Hill
Please take the time to check out our website at www.harrishillsoaring.org! WSPA Seminar attendees will be flying as Guest Members of Harris Hill. Per Harris Hill policy, guest members pay a membership due set by the Board and then flying rates for tow and sailplane rental are double the rates paid by our regular members. The Harris Hill rate structure can be viewed on the website. I will also provide more details in the next issue of Hanger Soaring, at which time any rate changes for the 2004 soaring season should be finalized. Closer to the seminar date I will be sending out a package of detailed information on our fleet, flying policies and checkride requirements. Expect a required safety meeting on Monday.
General Information about the Finger Lakes
There’s a lot to do in the Finger Lakes! For aviation enthusiasts, there’s the Soaring Museum (beside Harris Hill!), the Nat’l Warplane Museum at Elmira airport and the Glen Curtiss Museum in nearby Hammondsport. Corning offers its world famous Glass Museum and an interesting collection of Western Art at the Rockwell Museum. There are wine trails up and down all the lakes. For more info, check out :
www.soaringmuseum.org www.warplane.org
www.cmog.org www.fingerlakes.org
www.visitfingerlakes.com www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com
www.harrishillsoaring.org/tourism.htm
Questions? Contact me at or 607-974-6513 (day) or 607-562-2317 (evenings).