Best soaring site in USA?

"James" wrote in message
om...
I can't believe no one has nominated SOAR TRUCKEE yet

A couple of points I'd add on Truckee:

1. I haven't flown there in a couple of years, but when I did, they
had a bunk house right next to the runway where you can bunk for $5 a
night. You needed to bring your own sleeping bag, but it was
comfortable and made soaring VERY affordable. One three day trip I
made there cost me $100 for tows and lodging: $30 a day for a tow,
which allowed me to stay up as long as I wanted, and $10 for two
nights in the bunk house (actually I slept right outside on the lawn,
using an air mattress I brought - great night sky!). I belonged to a
club at the time so my dues covered "rental" of the glider.

2. Soar Truckee does not have many (any?) ships available for non-dual
rental. It is primarily for owner-pilots or instruction/rides.

3. While the last time I flew there, the staff had changed recommended
procedures in a good way, it doesn't hurt to add to the warning about
not landing short on 19. When I got my club checkout at TRK, the
fellow doing it (Emil Kissel for those of you who know him) drove me
around the airport and down to the base of the "cliff" that is the
approach end of 19. Looking up at it from the bottom gave me a much
better sense of its danger than looking down from the top -- or even
worse on final in a glider (where it looks like a minor grade). Prior
to an accident that seriously injured another, very experienced club
member and I think totalled his glider, there had been more emphasis
on touching down ASAP so you could taxi your glider off the runway at
an exit taxiway. After the accident, I heard much more about "There's
a lot of runway. Don't be afraid to use it. We'll come get you with
the golf cart." Even if no one tells you that, think that way!

Since someone has also mentioned Telluride, let me add a warning there
too. I and three others flew in there in the summer of 2002, but were
fortunate to have a local pilot as our host. The wind was something
like 12 kts out of 150, only 40 degrees off the runway. Since our
ships can easily handle a 15 kt x-wind component, that didn't sound
like any problem. But our friend had checked the winds and asked the
Unicom to tell us to divert to Montrose since that was too much wind
from that direction. Given the topography, SW winds create rotor on
the runway even at speeds like that. There are other issues that you
need to know about as well, like the bowl shaped runway (1.9% slope
downward in each direction til you come to the middle of the runway).
Bottom line: If I were planning to fly into Telluride, I'd want to
first consult with an experienced local pilot.

Hope this is helpful.

Martin