Arizona Downwind Dash

[Mike the Strike]

Last Saturday saw the first annual Arizona Soaring Association Downwind
Dash in which Arizona pilots attempt long-distance one-way flights.
Originated and inspired by Steve Koerner, three pilots including Steve
(ASW 27) took part. The others were Cliff Hilty (Ventus B) and Ted
Wagner (304 CZ).

All three struggled north from Pleasant Valley Airport north of Phoenix
in breezy conditions with broken thermals and faced developing storms
as a frontal system moved in to the state. They squeaked up onto the
high ground north of Sedona and finally connected with better lift
north of Flagstaff. Circumnavigating the Grand Canyon National Park to
the east, they parted company at Tuba City. Steve headed north-east
towards Colorado across virtually unlandable terrain, finally landing
at Cortez, Colorado after 7 hours in the air. Cliff and Ted flew north
to land at Page, on the shores of Lake Powell on the Arizona/Utah
border. About 1,400 km total for the three of them.

The flights will be posted on the Aerokurier OLC site.

[Gary Evans]

Those were great flights but why would you fly over
virtually unlandable terrain? Those actions can have
a nasty way of catching up with you.

At 21:00 25 April 2005, Mike The Strike wrote:
>Last Saturday saw the first annual Arizona Soaring
>Association Downwind
>Dash in which Arizona pilots attempt long-distance
>one-way flights.
>Originated and inspired by Steve Koerner, three pilots
>including Steve
>(ASW 27) took part. The others were Cliff Hilty (Ventus
>B) and Ted
>Wagner (304 CZ).
>
>All three struggled north from Pleasant Valley Airport
>north of Phoenix
>in breezy conditions with broken thermals and faced
>developing storms
>as a frontal system moved in to the state. They squeaked
>up onto the
>high ground north of Sedona and finally connected with
>better lift
>north of Flagstaff. Circumnavigating the Grand Canyon
>National Park to
>the east, they parted company at Tuba City. Steve
>headed north-east
>towards Colorado across virtually nlandable terrain,
>finally landing
>at Cortez, Colorado after 7 hours in the air. Cliff
>and Ted flew north
>to land at Page, on the shores of Lake Powell on the
>Arizona/Utah
>border. About 1,400 km total for the three of them.
>
>The flights will be posted on the Aerokurier OLC site.
>
>

[Eric Greenwell]

Mike the Strike wrote:
> Last Saturday saw the first annual Arizona Soaring Association Downwind
> Dash in which Arizona pilots attempt long-distance one-way flights.
> Originated and inspired by Steve Koerner, three pilots including Steve
> (ASW 27) took part. The others were Cliff Hilty (Ventus B) and Ted
> Wagner (304 CZ).
>
> All three struggled north from Pleasant Valley Airport north of Phoenix
> in breezy conditions with broken thermals and faced developing storms
> as a frontal system moved in to the state. They squeaked up onto the
> high ground north of Sedona and finally connected with better lift
> north of Flagstaff. Circumnavigating the Grand Canyon National Park to
> the east, they parted company at Tuba City. Steve headed north-east
> towards Colorado across virtually unlandable terrain, finally landing
> at Cortez, Colorado after 7 hours in the air. Cliff and Ted flew north
> to land at Page, on the shores of Lake Powell on the Arizona/Utah
> border. About 1,400 km total for the three of them.
>
> The flights will be posted on the Aerokurier OLC site.

I notice that the leader for the day is Jim Hard flying a 1-26, and he
only slips to second place in actual distance! That Minnesota area must
be one heck of a soaring paradise...

When Jim was a club member here in Richland, WA, he used to do those
distance flights in a 2-22, which makes a 1-26 look good. No one, even
an Arizona pilot, need feel bad if they are beaten by Jim.

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

[Mike the Strike]

Many directions from our home field have some pretty unlandable areas.
That's what soaring in much of Arizona is like. Several pilots have
flown over the Tuba City area and into Colorado and I have driven the
route. There are some strips and fields as well as roads, but even
some of the rough terrain could be landed on.

I started my cross-country soaring in a flat area with large
agricultural fields in every direction, so just about anywhere else
looks scary to me by comparison.

Steve's file is now on OLC - just short of 600 km.

Mike

[[email protected]]

You can't do X/C in Arizona without flying over unlandable terrain :)

Cliff and I always had glide to an airfield, even if they were 50 miles
away. (Wanna get from Flagstaff to Tuba City? All you need is fourteen
grand!)

Can't wait for the next Dash. It was blast.

-ted/2NO