Logan, Utah Mountain XC Camp Report

Excellent report, Lee!Â* And good advice on the type of flying required
to climb the ridge east of Logan.

Next time you get there use water in that Discus.Â* You'll be glad you did.

On 9/5/2019 9:05 PM, wrote:
I'm adding a much longer post/impression, with the hope that what I learned will help other people thinking about flying at Logan.

The OLC camp was wonderful, one of the best experiences I've had in soaring (and I've had some great ones!) Everyone there was excellent; and I cannot say enough kind words about how well-run it was. Ron Gleason, Bruno Vassel, Kim & Cindy Hall did a super job. The Halls run one of the best FBOs I've ever seen (I'm a commercial+CFI in power too) ... a pleasure just to see that in this era of declining general aviation.

I will go back! ... and its a long schlepp for me -- drove out from New York bringing my Discus, to fly the Ephrata regionals and the Logan OLC.

I went to Logan cautiously and with a personal agenda -- I never attempted to jump over to the Salt River Range, also never flew with water (the 2nd is likely a prerequisite for the first) ... felt I had my hands full with what I was attempting ... maybe do those things next year.

But I did get my Gold altitude on the first day I had an oxygen system in QJ, and I made a good flight every day I was there (except the one I spent wrestling with installing said system) ... you can see that on OLC, and I made two big flights at the end of the week - the second of which made Gold distance, and should have made Diamond goal, but the claim was denied... for weird problems of start/finish that stemmed from XCsoar/LXNAV S100 problems I still do not understand (and may end up being another post here when I know a bit more). Both of these flights were made on days that "weren't so great" by Logan standards, and the flight where I did get Gold distance was made on a day where Ron & Bruno kept the task to "play on the ridge" over concern about the forecast: a mediocre day at Logan can be as good as a great day at most places, particularly in the east.

If you look at Bruno's videos you'd gain the impression that all there is ... is the ridge and jumping the LONG gap to the Salt River range and going north, but this misses everything that is to the west and northwest of Logan, away from the ridge. There's excellent soaring there on decent days, and its over very landable terrain. It's good country to do your gold or diamond flights.

This being said, most days do start with climbing the Logan ridge to get out of the early valley inversion, and it's not a good place for those with weak pilotage -- A pilot must be competent at low-altitude maneuvering, be able to maneuver by ground reference instinctively at bank angles 45° and more in a wind. But given that, and some common sense ... it's much safer than its reputation.

Logan is DIFFERENT; it upsets much of "what you know" from other places. You need to listen to those with local knowledge, and ridge soaring experience of any kind helps.

I learned to fly at Torrey Pines (that dates me), and instructed there when I was young. That all came back to me and was completely relevant. One of the local pilots dismissed it as "that's a sand dune" and in comparison of scale that's true, but you need greater precision and quicker judgement flying a small ridge, and they can be rougher.

Several things make Logan different though:

* DENSITY ALTITUDE (do not forget it!) Your circling size is larger, both due to altitude and the fact of any ridge flying: roll authority is is key, always keeping your speed up enough so you have it is a necessity.

* It's a very tall ridge, so the thermal wind up it matters much more; this (and the typical low valley inversion) is what makes it truly "alpine." But I don't know of any other "alpine" amidst western desert soaring.

* The scale and the height mean that thermals often cling to ridges coming up the slope, and the gullies are large -- both of these provide impetus to circle more. On weak days, or if you start down in the inversion, you won't be able to climb out just by figure-eighting. Circling close to the ridge takes very good judgement ... every circle. Each time around you must judge whether you are OK early enough to figure-eight out if you are not. The biggest safety "edge" you can easily give yourself at Logan is just to take a higher tow; particularly important if you are flying something extra-long-winged.

* Almost all of the terrain on top of the ridge and to the east is unlandable. Don't get far enough east of the main scarp that you cannot get back! Below the main scarp there's varying jumble, particularly as you go north & south ... but all the canyons do lead out, at safe gradients.

But again ... to the west and north -- lots of safe landable terrain.

If anybody wants to talk to me more about it ... I'm Lee Harrison, QJ

--
Dan, 5J