Soaring vacation this January or February?

[[email protected]]

I got my glider add-on last winter, here: http://www.miamigliders.com. Great people, I recommend them 100%. There was normally some lift in the afternoon, when fair weather cumulus would build.

But variety is the spice of life, and if I go again this winter, I'm just wondering if the weather in Phoenix, Tuscon or SoCal is going to be good for soaring. Any local knowledge would be appreciated!

[Mike the Strike]

On Sunday, November 24, 2013 10:37:18 PM UTC-7, wrote:
> I got my glider add-on last winter, here: http://www.miamigliders.com. Great people, I recommend them 100%. There was normally some lift in the afternoon, when fair weather cumulus would build.
>
>
>
> But variety is the spice of life, and if I go again this winter, I'm just wondering if the weather in Phoenix, Tuscon or SoCal is going to be good for soaring. Any local knowledge would be appreciated!

I can answer for Arizona. Our normal soaring season is March through October, but we have the occasional good winter day when frontal systems push through. Otherwise generally quiet conditions with low to non-existent top--of-lift.

Mike

[Dan Marotta]

Kinda the same in central New Mexico (Moriarty), except if the sun is
shining, we'll have weak thermals (2-4 kts) which carry us up into wave.
Looking at my logbook, I see 3 wave flights above 15,000' MSL last December.

We also have good food, several motels, and a brewery about a mile from the
field.


> wrote in message
...
>I got my glider add-on last winter, here: http://www.miamigliders.com.
>Great people, I recommend them 100%. There was normally some lift in the
>afternoon, when fair weather cumulus would build.
>
> But variety is the spice of life, and if I go again this winter, I'm just
> wondering if the weather in Phoenix, Tuscon or SoCal is going to be good
> for soaring. Any local knowledge would be appreciated!

[son_of_flubber]

Hawaii?

[[email protected]]

Dillingham Field on Oahu is working anytime the trade winds blow. I have flown everytime I have been on Oahu and only once did I have to wait two days for the winds to be favorable. It is beautiful. However,you are not going to get any cross-country miles in. The ridge is it. For me it is good for two days out of a week with some diving, surfing, sailing, hiking, sleeping, or eating in the days between flights.

[akiley]

I'm taking a trip to Minden, NV and renting from SoaringNV late January. They get a lot of wave days there. I think you are more likely than not seeing at least one soarable wave day a week, maybe 2. There were 2 my last trip in 2012. I also got some ridge flying on the non wave days. Check the requirements for rental on their web site.

Also great hiking, skiing and amazing scenery. ... Aaron

[[email protected]]

Paul, Check out OLC for areas you'd like to visit to see if the locals flew during the same time last year.
www.onlinecontest.org

[son_of_flubber]

Like you I share the perspective of a low hours glider pilot. I found it valuable to do upset and aerobatic training last winter and I plan to do more in the future.

http://www.azsoaring.com/training/

If you're the typical power pilot with add-on glider rating, you are probably not yet comfortable with steep turns, spin recovery, recovery from inverted flight, but familiarity with these maneuvers will give you a better chance of keeping a cool head when the unexpected happens in the air. For example, when you have an opportunity to fly in mountain wave you will want to be comfortable flying through rotor. Steep turns are useful in 50% of thermals.

The best occasion for learning aerobatics seems to be in mountain wave (because the wave allows you to recover lost altitude, rinse and repeat), but you really don't need lift because a neophyte can take a high tow and have a "full day" of aerobatic flying in 20-30 minutes. The intensity compensates for the short duration.

[JS]

Inverted wave flying is fun.
Jim

[[email protected]]

Good tip on the acro! I've been flying acro in a Super Decathlon for years, and I really appreciate the way that a lot of attitudes and maneuvers that were unsettling (to put it politely!) are now enjoyable to fly with increasing precision. It's made me a much more capable pilot.

As a new glider pilot, I'd really like to do some soaring. I worked like a beaver to get my glider add-on rating last winter, and just didn't have much time to play with thermals. It looks like Florida (either Miami or Zephyrhills) and Hawaii are the two options for the winter, but that I'd probably see much better thermals if I wait until Spring when the real bumpy air is afoot.

[[email protected]]

If acro is your thing...I vote for Dillingham.
Gain altitude in the ridge, fly over the ocean and make yourself sick, fly back to the ridge to gain altitude...rinse and repeat...rinse and repeat...rinse and repeat.

Since I have been flying in wave at Minden for twenty years, caution with acro. High altitudes get you into the coffin corner especially with the higher speeds needed to maintain inverted flight, and rotor turbulance can catch you at any altitude. As always in the United States of America...the pilot in command is responsible.

Having said all that, my basic minimum requirement is "a loop a day."

[son_of_flubber]

On Sunday, December 1, 2013 9:55:26 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> High altitudes get you into the coffin corner especially with the higher speeds needed to maintain inverted flight

Please ELIF (Explain Like I'm Five).

[Dan Marotta]

The "coffin corner" is that part of the flight envelope where the
combination of altitude and speed puts you just above stall (IAS) and the
aircraft's aeroelastic limit or flutter speed (TAS).

I don't recall seeing a flight envelope graph in a glider flight manual or a
normally aspirated pistion-engined airplane - I've only seen then in jets.

Flying high in wave can certainly get you there!


"son_of_flubber" > wrote in message
...
> On Sunday, December 1, 2013 9:55:26 PM UTC-5, wrote:
>> High altitudes get you into the coffin corner especially with the higher
>> speeds needed to maintain inverted flight
>
> Please ELIF (Explain Like I'm Five).

[son_of_flubber]

On Sunday, December 1, 2013 9:55:26 PM UTC-5, wrote:

> Since I have been flying in wave at Minden for twenty years, caution with acro. High altitudes get you into the coffin corner especially with the higher speeds needed to maintain inverted flight,

Good point. This is less of a problem at 8000-10000 MSL.

>and rotor turbulence can catch you at any altitude.

Very good point. Speed may be okay for smooth air, but too fast for turbulent air, and the transition can happen at any time (especially if you're spinning downwards.) In my limited experience, I've never encountered rotor once I was above the level where the wave forms.

[Morgan[_2_]]

Not on your list and certainly a jump in cost for the airfare, but if it is within your means, Glide Omarama in New Zealand should definitely be on your bucket list. The people, the scenery, it's a pretty amazing experience to fly with Gavin Wills or his team of instructors in the Southern Alps.

Central and Southern CA have some thermal soaring and wave in the winter months, but the days are short and there aren't a lot of operations with extensive rental fleets like SoaringNV in Minden or Williams Soaring.




On Sunday, November 24, 2013 9:37:18 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> I got my glider add-on last winter, here: http://www.miamigliders.com. Great people, I recommend them 100%. There was normally some lift in the afternoon, when fair weather cumulus would build.
>
>
>
> But variety is the spice of life, and if I go again this winter, I'm just wondering if the weather in Phoenix, Tuscon or SoCal is going to be good for soaring. Any local knowledge would be appreciated!

[6PK]

On Sunday, November 24, 2013 9:37:18 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> I got my glider add-on last winter, here: http://www.miamigliders.com. Great people, I recommend them 100%. There was normally some lift in the afternoon, when fair weather cumulus would build.
>
>
>
> But variety is the spice of life, and if I go again this winter, I'm just wondering if the weather in Phoenix, Tuscon or SoCal is going to be good for soaring. Any local knowledge would be appreciated!

Crystalair Ca offers year around soaring; thermal, ridge and wave
They also offer an extensive fleet of gliders to rent.However cheap it isn't.

[bumper[_4_]]

Jan - Feb . . . Hmmm, there's the SSA convention in Reno beginning of Feb. Then there's typically pre-frontal wave on occasion. Minden, NV would be a good choice on both counts!

bumper

Minden, NV