A broad swath of grassland lies east of Reykjavík, just outside the city along Route 1. Known as Sandskeið, this airfield is the long-established headquarters for Icelandic glider pilots and the home of Svifflugfélag Íslands, the national gliding club founded in 1936.
With its main runway stubbed neatly at angles 150 and 330 degrees, the field stretches an impressive 200 by 1,300 meters, a testament to both the space available in Iceland’s landscape and the ambitions of its early glider enthusiasts. A newer extension provides a dedicated area for winch launches, a technique where a ground-based engine swiftly pulls gliders up into the air.
Ridges, waves and unique Icelandic conditions
The character of Sandskeið is defined as much by its environment as by its infrastructure. Only a few hundred meters from the field’s boundary rises a mountain ridge, stretching for 10 km and climbing 400 to 550 meters above the plains. These slopes allow glider pilots to practice ridge soaring in winds that sweep across the landscape from the east, north and west.
Looming to the north and east, mountains and glaciers add another dimension. Their presence creates atmospheric lee waves, rippling air currents common in Iceland, which offer skilled pilots further opportunities to harness the forces invisible to the eye. Meanwhile, the proximity to the sea means pilots can observe and, at times, contend with sea breezes, usually blowing in from the west coast, and only rarely from the south.
While thermals, rising columns of warm air vital for certain types of soaring, are present from April through August, regular daily gliding activity at Sandskeið occurs between June and September, with extra activity on weekends in the shoulder months of May and September.
Aviation community on Reykjavík’s doorstep
Sandskeið sits at 180 meters, or 600 feet, above sea level. Its facilities are oriented not just for gliding but also for safety and coordination: a paved runway, additional grass runways for specific wind conditions, and a local radio frequency of 119.90 MHz. When gliders take to the air, an air traffic zone (ATZ) is activated from ground up to 3,000 feet, covering not only the immediate field but a swath 12 km south and 5 km east.
The club’s fleet includes a range of classic and modern gliders, from the two-seater ASK 21 trainer to high-performance machines like the LS 8 18m and the Duo Discus Turbo. Privately owned gliders add further variety, and there is even a powered Super Dimona for self-launch flights. This collection, along with a tradition stretching back to the 1930s, anchors a close-knit community in the short but lively Icelandic soaring season.
