Allan, your post strikes a chord with a cunning plan I'm
developing for 2017 or 2018. Can you give me an idea of the
likely cost of buying a small camper van - I'm considering
shipping mine from the UK and, apart from the cost, I'm
uncertain as yet about the requirements regarding the
temporary importation of a foreign registered vehicle (emissions
and the like). Buying and selling may be an easier alternative. I
assume that shipping the glider to Oz was in a trailer and RORO
ferry? Any advice and costings for that would be appreciated.

Jim

At 00:34 27 December 2015, Allan J Barnes wrote:
I spent 6 months in 2013 touring the USA across spring,
summer and autumn.
=
My itinerary worked pretty well, although I bought the glider
and RV over
t=
here (FL) and shipped the glider back to Australia at the end of
the trip
(=
from CA).

The RV meant that my partner and I could combine the gliding
holiday with
a=
more ' normal' holiday, visit loads of National Parks and other
attraction=
s, as well as spending time at the best flying sites and timing it
with
com=
ps as well.

I started in April in FL, flying Seminole, then moved on up the
Appalachian=
s, flying Knoxville City TN and Mid Atlantic Soaring PA before
attending
th=
e first comp at Mifflin PA. Great ridge soaring. Then it was up
to Ionia
Mi=
chigan (in hindsight, the weather in this part of the US is too
unreliable
=
and I would happily exclude from a future itinerary). After that,
across
to=
Ephrata WA (would have been great to fly in Montana but time
did not
allow=
). Ephrata is a fabulous spot. Then down to Montague CA
(another fabulous
s=
ite, with Mt Shasta giving me my Diamond Height), and across
to Lake
Tahoe=
and Air Sailing NV. After that we headed east again to Ely NV
and Parowan
=
UT (both brilliant) before heading across to Uvalde TX for the
end of the
W=
orlds. Then west again to fly at Marfa (highly recommended)
before
finishin=
g off at Warner Springs gliderport prior to shipping the glider
home and
se=
lling the RV in September.

Overall a fabulous trip with a good mix of flying and
sightseeing. I would
=
focus on the west and mountains - the flying in the east is
much more
Europ=
ean and patchy. It would be a tough trip to do without support
- I don't
th=
ink I would be brave enough to attempt even with a
motorglider.

flOn Sunday, December 27, 2015 at 9:37:47 AM UTC+11,
Casey Cox wrote:
Yes most clubs only operate on the weekends. There are
many commercial
o=
perations that operated most days of the week. I think EU has
more clubs
a=
nd less commercial operations if that is correct? I also think
that
commer=
cial operations have more camping opportunities and/or a
room to rent.
=20
The SSA website has most all clubs and commercial
operations listed on
th=
is google map:
http://www.ssa.org/WhereToFlyMap.asp
=20
I have not been, but Carolina Soaring Association is a club in
Spartanbur=
g, SC and has a great winch I hear. I think some clubs in PA
have winches
=
as well. Many commercial sites have tow planes.
=20
The climate is varied in the US and soaring is better in
different parts
=
of the country at different times of the year. Well, some may
be good
almo=
st all the time, but I have not been all over neither. Florida is
good in
=
winter and early spring. Really hot during the rest of the year.
Seminole=
Lake Gliderport in Fl, is a commercial site and has some
accommodations,
p=
ool, and camping hook ups. You may consider renting an RV
which will give
=
you more options and a semi permanent residence.=20
=20
I live in Eastern NC where soaring is limited but I have a
spare room if
=
you would like to get out of the RV for a couple days, or you
are just
pass=
ing by on the way south.
=20
Anyway, I think I would start North around mid summer,
drive south to
Flo=
rida for mid winter, then head to west coast via south route
stopping in
TX=
, AZ, NV, CA by end of winter to early spring. Then head to
Washington
sta=
te for early summer, then head across the northern US
stopping in PA and
th=
en back to port of entry to ship glider back. That is just saying
1 yr
but=
you could stay longer is some places but the key would be to
miss the mid
=
summer in some places and mid winter in others.