Soaring vacation this January or February?

If acro is your thing...I vote for Dillingham.
Gain altitude in the ridge, fly over the ocean and make yourself sick, fly back to the ridge to gain altitude...rinse and repeat...rinse and repeat...rinse and repeat.

Since I have been flying in wave at Minden for twenty years, caution with acro. High altitudes get you into the coffin corner especially with the higher speeds needed to maintain inverted flight, and rotor turbulance can catch you at any altitude. As always in the United States of America...the pilot in command is responsible.

Having said all that, my basic minimum requirement is "a loop a day."

On Sunday, December 1, 2013 9:55:26 PM UTC-5, wrote:
High altitudes get you into the coffin corner especially with the higher speeds needed to maintain inverted flight

Please ELIF (Explain Like I'm Five).

The "coffin corner" is that part of the flight envelope where the
combination of altitude and speed puts you just above stall (IAS) and the
aircraft's aeroelastic limit or flutter speed (TAS).

I don't recall seeing a flight envelope graph in a glider flight manual or a
normally aspirated pistion-engined airplane - I've only seen then in jets.

Flying high in wave can certainly get you there!


"son_of_flubber" wrote in message
...
On Sunday, December 1, 2013 9:55:26 PM UTC-5, wrote:
High altitudes get you into the coffin corner especially with the higher
speeds needed to maintain inverted flight

Please ELIF (Explain Like I'm Five).

On Sunday, December 1, 2013 9:55:26 PM UTC-5, wrote:

Since I have been flying in wave at Minden for twenty years, caution with acro. High altitudes get you into the coffin corner especially with the higher speeds needed to maintain inverted flight,

Good point. This is less of a problem at 8000-10000 MSL.

and rotor turbulence can catch you at any altitude.

Very good point. Speed may be okay for smooth air, but too fast for turbulent air, and the transition can happen at any time (especially if you're spinning downwards.) In my limited experience, I've never encountered rotor once I was above the level where the wave forms.

Not on your list and certainly a jump in cost for the airfare, but if it is within your means, Glide Omarama in New Zealand should definitely be on your bucket list. The people, the scenery, it's a pretty amazing experience to fly with Gavin Wills or his team of instructors in the Southern Alps.

Central and Southern CA have some thermal soaring and wave in the winter months, but the days are short and there aren't a lot of operations with extensive rental fleets like SoaringNV in Minden or Williams Soaring.




On Sunday, November 24, 2013 9:37:18 PM UTC-8, 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!

On Sunday, November 24, 2013 9:37:18 PM UTC-8, 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!

Crystalair Ca offers year around soaring; thermal, ridge and wave
They also offer an extensive fleet of gliders to rent.However cheap it isn't.

Jan - Feb . . . Hmmm, there's the SSA convention in Reno beginning of Feb. Then there's typically pre-frontal wave on occasion. Minden, NV would be a good choice on both counts!

bumper

Minden, NV