Soaring vacation this January or February?

I got my glider add-on last winter, he 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!

On Sunday, November 24, 2013 10:37:18 PM UTC-7, wrote:
I got my glider add-on last winter, he 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

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, he 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!

Hawaii?

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.

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

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

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.

Inverted wave flying is fun.
Jim

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.