Depending on whether you are driving up I-5, I'd say Avenal
might be ok.

It has:

Inexpensive rentals $7 per flight
Inexpensive tows $1/100ft
wicked thermals 4-10 knots
no X-C restrictions
easy checkouts
Subway sandwiches within walking distance

The downsides a

it's in the middle of nowhere, nothing but highway 5 nearby
the best performing glider is a Blanik L-13

Tehachapi has an excellent cafe with great chili,
some super sexy gliders, but I don't think they allow X-C
in rentals.

www.soe.ucsc.edu/~mjboyd/cfi/glider/gliderclubs

has a survey I conducted a few years ago for my personal use.
You'll need to keep in mind many clubs have a one day
or short term membership program also. Avenal/CCSC
www.soaravenal.com
is $25 a day for guest membership. Byron is
www.norcalsoaring.org
$100 for a one month trial membership.

As all these guys will mention, Minden/Truckee is
the most interesting for soaring, but maybe also
among the most expensive too.

De gustibus non est disputandum?
My wife said that. Loosely translated from Yiddish I think it means:
"The winds don't spit."

Uhoh. She's laughing at me. I guess I didn't
translate so good ;O

In article ,
Mark Newton wrote:
Hi.

I'm an Australian glider pilot visiting the US on business
for a few weeks later this month.

I'm going to be in the LA and San Jose area, and I'd like to
see about doing some flying while I'm there. I've been checking
into the licensing requirements (seems it's easiest to do the
paperwork for a student pilots license then go for some checkrides),
so now I'm trying to find gliderports who might be visitor-friendly,
scenic, and with goodish soaring conditions at this time of year.

I've had recommendations to visit Cal City and Tehachapi near
LA, and possibly Hollister near San Jose.

I have about 350 hours in gliders, I've been doing about 100
hours per year for the last two years, and I hold an Australian
instructor rating. What kind of hoops would I need to jump
through to get my butt into something with wings, and what's
likely to be the best place to do it?

Thanks,

- mark


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Mark J. Boyd