Best US Soaring Weather

The weather can best be appreciated if one can get
to it....before pulling up stakes one might consider
the ramifications of a blown jug, failed medical, outrageous
increase in commercial insurance rates, development
pressures on airport usage. Unfortunately over time
these seem to work against our sport.

If you intend to self-launch, ignore the above. And
if you are in fact a self-launcher and enjoy desolation...anywhere
in the Great Basin should fit the bill. Otherwise
for the Western US, my humble suggestions would be
in no particular order the metro areas of Albuqurque,
Las Vegas, Denver, Phoenix, Reno, Salt Lake City and
SoCal.. At this time there seem to be enough clubs/commercial
operations to justify a move to one of these areas.
Other opinions may vary.

If you have to stay in one place, it's hard to beat California City,
Estrella or Minden for good year-round conditions. Tehachapi has more
amenities than Cal City, but the day tends to start a bit later. An
FBO or club with year-round towing is an important consideration. For
me, hangar availability would also score points.

When I was (much) younger, I used to follow the snow from upstate NY to
VT and on to UT in late spring, staying in youth hostels, unguarded
college dorms and the like. Gliders are a bit harder to transport than
skis, unfortunately, and I'm now partial to a certain level of
familiarity and comfort in my living arrangements, but with an RV of
sufficient size, it might be possible to have the best of it. Owning
gliders (or at least shares) in multiple hemispheres would be another
neat solution. Off to buy a winning lottery ticket.....

Ray Warshaw

Actually the OLC would suggest moving to Namibia. Farther away, but
less backwards than New Jersey.

Namibian weather is great.
Just don't land on property owned by the DeBoers company. They shoot
first, shoot second, burn third, bury fourth, ask questions later.
(you know, those lovely people who insist you to pay 2 years wages for
one of their crystals... or you don't love her)

JS wrote:
Namibian weather is great.
Just don't land on property owned by the DeBoers company.

De Beers?

I live in and fly from Bishop California. Often when people talk about the
great flying in Minden, California City, or Tehachapi the stories they tell
of best soaring is actually within 60 miles of Bishop. My experience
supports this and Bishop should be on the list.

Here is a related story:

http://home.inreach.com/grahdani/24jul00.htm

"Fred" wrote in message
ups.com...
I DID pull up stakes for the soaring two years ago, and am in Minden.
Good wave (although a little late this year), good XC in the summer,
and world records just waiting to be set. There's a commercial
operation offering tows, oxygen and other support every day of the year
(weather permitting), and the scenery is stunning. Minden's reputation
stretches around the world (we have four Japanese and one British pilot
flying with us this week), and for good reason. We are not without
criticism, as future posters will doubtless point out, but we're
working on the things we can change and I think I made the right
decision. Fred

Tony Verhulst wrote:
JS wrote:

Namibian weather is great.
Just don't land on property owned by the DeBoers company.


De Beers?

No, de beers is whatcha drink when yer watchin' da Bears

Da Bears!


Shawn
(SNL fan since day one)

Yes, my experience is that the soaring in the Bishop area is
tremendously better than in the Mojave Desert. The only advantage of
Cal City and Tehachapi is that they are within a reasonable driving
distance of a metropolitan area, which is not true of Bishop.

Although you will not find it on the SSA webpage (wouldn't want to let
SSA members know about any towing operation that has not made the
appropriate payment to the SSA), there is a towplane at Bishop (or at
least was last summer). Rod with his Husky at Hangar One.



Mary Daniel or David Grah wrote:
I live in and fly from Bishop California. Often when people talk about the
great flying in Minden, California City, or Tehachapi the stories they tell
of best soaring is actually within 60 miles of Bishop. My experience
supports this and Bishop should be on the list.

Here is a related story:

http://home.inreach.com/grahdani/24jul00.htm

Erik,
My vote would be Warner Springs, California. Commercial operation
with 15 gliders and 4 towplanes. Closed only 2 days a
year-Thanksgiving and Christmas. At least 50 private gliders based
there-everything from Nimbus to 1-26. Check OLC for the consistency of
year round cross country flights out of Warner Springs. Thermals all
year round and wave during much of the year.

Dean Chantiles "GO"
Warner Springs

What, and have the likes of this crew spoil it all? Mum's the word.
wrote in message
ups.com...
If you were pulling up stakes, where would one move to find:

1. The longest soaring season.

2. The best x-c conditions, on average.

The OLC would suggest Blairstown, NJ... Any other opinions, with or
without objective data?

Erik N.
5E