Welcome to the Baltimore Area Soaring Society

What is the Baltimore Area Soaring Society?

The Baltimore Area Soaring Society was formed in May of 1980 by a group of modelers with a common interest in radio controlled silent flight.  Our main purpose is to promote friendship among modelers and a better understanding of the construction and successful operation of radio controlled sailplanes and electric powered aircraft.

BASS members pursue almost all areas of silent flight including Thermal Duration, Slope, Scale and Hand Launch Soaring as well as electric powered R/C.

The main BASS flying field is the Cal Ripken Jr. Field lo¬cated at Villa Maria off Dulaney Valley Road in Towson. Club meet¬ings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m., June - September at Villa Maria, and October - May at the Hampton Elementary School Library.

We fly year-round and schedule fun-flys and club contests from March - November.  Members enjoy the use of BASS supplied contest and sport winches, retrievers and Hi-Starts. In addition to this equipment, BASS maintains soaring and electric "Trainers" to allow newcomers to experience the thrill of soaring.   Any AMA member is welcome to join us at contests or casual flying sessions.

The Wright Stuff

For a number of years the Baltimore Area Soaring Society has assisted the Maryland Science Olympiad with the annual "Wright Stuff" event, which this year is a helicopter.

The task is to build and fly a rubber powered helicopter. Rules for the event as well as a helicopter plan and instructions can be found in the links below.

Coaches and their teams are welcome to email BASS members with any questions about the event. For further assistance, coaches and/or their students are encouraged to join BASS members at a weekly indoor flying session held Friday evenings at the Bykota Senior Center in Towson, MD. There they can receive assistance with construction and can practice flying techniques. 

For information about Friday Bykota Flying sessions, click here.

Maryland Science Olympiad

Cold Outside?  ...  Fly Indoors.

On January 8th several members of BASS made the trip down the parkway to the National Building Museum to enjoy a day of indoor flying. The event is sponsored by the DC Maxecuters Model Airplane Club and the National Building Museum. Another fly is scheduled for March 4th.

For photo's of the event please follow these Maxecutters photo page links.

Photos from NBM Jan 8, 2012

More photos from NBM Jan 8, 2012 by David Fuller