Alaska Soaring

Are there soaring sites/clubs in Alaska? The SSA web site doesn't seem
to have any.

At 07:24 17 August 2006, Mike I Green wrote:
Are there soaring sites/clubs in Alaska? The SSA web
site doesn't seem
to have any.


I'm sure the soaring must be awsome there but I refuse
to spend a single penny in that state, where the governor
approves of the wholesale slaughter of wolves and bears
by so-called 'sportsmen', in the name of 'wildlife
management'.

Mike:

The CAP has a very active soaring group in Alaska, one of
the most active in the nation, but there are no clubs or
rental gliders available, in part because of insurance
problems. The SSA graciously excludes us from the SSA group
policy in spite of the fact that we have had a superb safety
record over the last 10 years. However, I am now told that
if you have coverage through the SSA program and bring your
glider here, you are covered, you just can't live here and
get coverage.

There are a number of actively flying private gliders which
presently include a DG-600M, a Russia AC-5M, a Pilatus B-4,
a SGS 1-23G, 1-35, and a Jantar. There are is also a 2-33
and a Stemme which fly occasionally and a Diamant which is
in the process of being returned to service.

Our informal group, the Alaska Mountain Soaring Association
has a web site as noted below.

This year excepted, (one of the coldest and wettest in my
recollection of the last 33 years) we generally have thermal
flying from the end of March through the end of October and
can have wave any time of year although spring and fall are
best.

Our local core group of instructors tries to get outside
regularly to get additional experience and training and we
have sent guys to St. Auban in France, Waikerie in
Australia, the UK, and over most of the western states,
especially Nevada.

Your friends at Air Sailing have been particularly helpful
to us over the years, teaching some of us like me to fly
gliders and letting us go on safari with them. In addition,
Vern Frye, Bob Wander, Tom Knauff, Eric Greenwell, Jim
Kellet, Rich Carlson and others have visited here and helped
us from becoming too ingrown.

Now we just have to get some sort of affilation with the
guys in South Africa or New Zealand so we can fly the
summers here and then the winters there.

When are you coming to visit?

Pete Brown




Mike I Green wrote:
Are there soaring sites/clubs in Alaska? The SSA web site doesn't seem
to have any.

--

Peter D. Brown
http://home.gci.net/~pdb/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akmtnsoaring/

Pete Brown wrote:

Your friends at Air Sailing have been particularly helpful to us over
the years, teaching some of us like me to fly gliders and letting us go
on safari with them. In addition, Vern Frye, Bob Wander, Tom Knauff,
Eric Greenwell, Jim Kellet, Rich Carlson and others have visited here
and helped us from becoming too ingrown.

I had a great visit, and the trip up the Alaska Highway had some good
soaring, too. Take a look at my article in the Nov 2002 Soaring issue.

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

Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA

www.motorglider.org - Download "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane
Operation"

Pete Brown wrote:
Mike:

The CAP has a very active soaring group in Alaska, one of
the most active in the nation, but there are no clubs or
rental gliders available, in part because of insurance
problems. The SSA graciously excludes us from the SSA group
policy in spite of the fact that we have had a superb safety
record over the last 10 years. However, I am now told that
if you have coverage through the SSA program and bring your
glider here, you are covered, you just can't live here and
get coverage.

There are a number of actively flying private gliders which
presently include a DG-600M, a Russia AC-5M, a Pilatus B-4,
a SGS 1-23G, 1-35, and a Jantar. There are is also a 2-33
and a Stemme which fly occasionally and a Diamant which is
in the process of being returned to service.

Our informal group, the Alaska Mountain Soaring Association
has a web site as noted below.

This year excepted, (one of the coldest and wettest in my
recollection of the last 33 years) we generally have thermal
flying from the end of March through the end of October and
can have wave any time of year although spring and fall are
best.

Our local core group of instructors tries to get outside
regularly to get additional experience and training and we
have sent guys to St. Auban in France, Waikerie in
Australia, the UK, and over most of the western states,
especially Nevada.

Your friends at Air Sailing have been particularly helpful
to us over the years, teaching some of us like me to fly
gliders and letting us go on safari with them. In addition,
Vern Frye, Bob Wander, Tom Knauff, Eric Greenwell, Jim
Kellet, Rich Carlson and others have visited here and helped
us from becoming too ingrown.

Now we just have to get some sort of affilation with the
guys in South Africa or New Zealand so we can fly the
summers here and then the winters there.

When are you coming to visit?

Pete Brown




Mike I Green wrote:
Are there soaring sites/clubs in Alaska? The SSA web site doesn't seem
to have any.

--

Peter D. Brown
http://home.gci.net/~pdb/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akmtnsoaring/

Pete

I would have thought that there ought to be good wave flying in winter
when the air is cold and hopefully stable? Has anyone done this?

Regards
George Emsden

George:

Yes, we have flown wave and its pretty spectacular when we
get it. At high latitudes in winter, we are somewhat
constrained by short days and extreme cold but spring and
fall is nice.

Go to the files - glider videos section of the Alaska
Mountain Soaring web site (url below) and download Wave1.MP4
for a pretty spectacular time lapse video of the Chugach wave.

If you have trouble downloading the file, email me
(pdbatgcidotnet) and I can email it directly to you. Its
about 2,800kb.

Pete

kestrel254 wrote:
Pete

I would have thought that there ought to be good wave flying in winter
when the air is cold and hopefully stable? Has anyone done this?

Regards
George Emsden


--

Peter D. Brown
http://home.gci.net/~pdb/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akmtnsoaring/

Pete Brown wrote:
George:

Yes, we have flown wave and its pretty spectacular when we
get it. At high latitudes in winter, we are somewhat
constrained by short days and extreme cold but spring and
fall is nice.

Go to the files - glider videos section of the Alaska
Mountain Soaring web site (url below) and download Wave1.MP4
for a pretty spectacular time lapse video of the Chugach wave.

If you have trouble downloading the file, email me
(pdbatgcidotnet) and I can email it directly to you. Its
about 2,800kb.

Pete

kestrel254 wrote:
Pete

I would have thought that there ought to be good wave flying in winter
when the air is cold and hopefully stable? Has anyone done this?

Regards
George Emsden


--

Peter D. Brown
http://home.gci.net/~pdb/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akmtnsoaring/

In 1994 I shipped my hang glider to Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian
islands while working there for the summer. One evening I launched
into a low level wave and flew until midnight. One of my launch ramps
was an old WW II coastal gun emplacement. The numerous bald eagles
were facinated by my hang glider, and would come up to fly with me
everytime I flew. It was a bit strange to have six or seven bald
eagles following me around all the time. I never encountered any
thermals, just ridge lift and that one evening in the wave.
Interesting summer.

Ron Clark
LS-1
kestrel254 wrote:
Pete Brown wrote:
Mike:

The CAP has a very active soaring group in Alaska, one of
the most active in the nation, but there are no clubs or
rental gliders available, in part because of insurance
problems. The SSA graciously excludes us from the SSA group
policy in spite of the fact that we have had a superb safety
record over the last 10 years. However, I am now told that
if you have coverage through the SSA program and bring your
glider here, you are covered, you just can't live here and
get coverage.

There are a number of actively flying private gliders which
presently include a DG-600M, a Russia AC-5M, a Pilatus B-4,
a SGS 1-23G, 1-35, and a Jantar. There are is also a 2-33
and a Stemme which fly occasionally and a Diamant which is
in the process of being returned to service.

Our informal group, the Alaska Mountain Soaring Association
has a web site as noted below.

This year excepted, (one of the coldest and wettest in my
recollection of the last 33 years) we generally have thermal
flying from the end of March through the end of October and
can have wave any time of year although spring and fall are
best.

Our local core group of instructors tries to get outside
regularly to get additional experience and training and we
have sent guys to St. Auban in France, Waikerie in
Australia, the UK, and over most of the western states,
especially Nevada.

Your friends at Air Sailing have been particularly helpful
to us over the years, teaching some of us like me to fly
gliders and letting us go on safari with them. In addition,
Vern Frye, Bob Wander, Tom Knauff, Eric Greenwell, Jim
Kellet, Rich Carlson and others have visited here and helped
us from becoming too ingrown.

Now we just have to get some sort of affilation with the
guys in South Africa or New Zealand so we can fly the
summers here and then the winters there.

When are you coming to visit?

Pete Brown




Mike I Green wrote:
Are there soaring sites/clubs in Alaska? The SSA web site doesn't seem
to have any.

--

Peter D. Brown
http://home.gci.net/~pdb/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akmtnsoaring/

Pete

I would have thought that there ought to be good wave flying in winter
when the air is cold and hopefully stable? Has anyone done this?

Regards
George Emsden

Alaska Soaring,

I have enjoyed many flights where wildlife is plentiful. I have found
some of my best thermals on the mountains just above the Dall sheep.
They of course are sitting on the warm spots. The Bears are wandering
just below eating the berries and a few fallen Sheep.

Now the Bears and Wolfs slaughter Sheep and Moose, and they never asked
the Governors permission.


Jeff Banks

Jeffrey Banks wrote:
Alaska Soaring,

I have enjoyed many flights where wildlife is plentiful. I have found
some of my best thermals on the mountains just above the Dall sheep.
They of course are sitting on the warm spots. The Bears are wandering
just below eating the berries and a few fallen Sheep.

Now the Bears and Wolfs slaughter Sheep and Moose, and they never asked
the Governors permission.


Jeff Banks