Bellanca Scout N8592V
92V is NWSC's beloved towplane. It happily tows gliders to 3,000' on hot summer days with its trusty Lycoming O-360 engine. We are grateful for all of the wonderful aircraft in the club, but 92V is the one we absolutely cannot do without.
Schweizer 2-33A N17971
The venerable Schweizer 2-33A is arguably one of the safest and easiest two-seat training aircraft to fly in the world. Docile and rugged, students quickly gain confidence flying the 2-33A. Although the 2-33A has been replaced by more modern gliders in many clubs, we can't ever imagine letting our 2-33A go to a new home.
Schweizer 1-26E N33909
After a student has completed a modest number of precise solo flights in either the 2-33A or L-23, their instructor will offer them the opportunity to make a small step up to NWSC's 1-26E. When asked to describe the handling characteristics of the 1-26E, most pilots will use the same word - nimble. A 1-26 is so agile, light, and responsive that many say that one "wears" the 1-26 rather than "flies in it". This "Little Glider the Could", ended its production run in 1979 due to pilots favoring more high-performance sailplanes, but it has a fiercely devoted following and pristine examples of the 1-26 will be flying 100 years from now.
LET Blanik L-33 Solo N261BA
Last, but certainly not least, is NWSC's beautiful L-33 Solo. The club recently purchased this medium-performance sailplane and enclosed trailer for club members to use to fly long distances, possibly establishing new Michigan State Soaring Records. Many experienced soaring pilots challenge themselves by flying long distances, using only the rising air currents of the day (thermals) to sustain their flight. On a good soaring day, it would be possible to fly this glider from Cadillac all the way to Indiana or further. If the lifting air dissipates during the day and the pilot has to land the L-33 along the way, it can be disassembled and placed in the trailer in about 15 minutes for the drive back to Cadillac.