Training in the Winter - location?

Hello,

I'm new to this group so maybe this topic has been covered before, but
I thought I would ask:

I have taken 7 or 8 lessons scattered over the last 5 years but I just
haven't been able to dedicate the time yet to complete my glider
rating. I've also spent a fair amount of time soaring with a friend in
his glider a few years ago but I just haven't completed my training.
I have many competing interests, but I'd like to re-focus. I'd like
to take a week of vacation this Winter and focus my time at a soaring
center in the US to work on my glider rating. Any recommendations on
where to go? I have mainly spent my time the last few years flying
3-axis hang gliders (Swift and a Millennium). I'd like to finish up
my glider rating as well and I'm looking for a place to travel to this
Winter to help move things forward.

Thanks in advance for the help.

John in Wisconsin

www.turfsoaring.com

At 22:54 20 October 2004, Johngamble wrote:
Hello,

I'm new to this group so maybe this topic has been
covered before, but
I thought I would ask:

I have taken 7 or 8 lessons scattered over the last
5 years but I just
haven't been able to dedicate the time yet to complete
my glider
rating. I've also spent a fair amount of time soaring
with a friend in
his glider a few years ago but I just haven't completed
my training.
I have many competing interests, but I'd like to re-focus.
I'd like
to take a week of vacation this Winter and focus my
time at a soaring
center in the US to work on my glider rating. Any recommendations
on
where to go? I have mainly spent my time the last few
years flying
3-axis hang gliders (Swift and a Millennium). I'd
like to finish up
my glider rating as well and I'm looking for a place
to travel to this
Winter to help move things forward.

Thanks in advance for the help.

John in Wisconsin

http://www.gfa.org.au/clubs/


"JohnGamble" wrote in message
om...
Hello,

I'm new to this group so maybe this topic has been covered before, but
I thought I would ask:

I have taken 7 or 8 lessons scattered over the last 5 years but I just
haven't been able to dedicate the time yet to complete my glider
rating. I've also spent a fair amount of time soaring with a friend in
his glider a few years ago but I just haven't completed my training.
I have many competing interests, but I'd like to re-focus. I'd like
to take a week of vacation this Winter and focus my time at a soaring
center in the US to work on my glider rating. Any recommendations on
where to go? I have mainly spent my time the last few years flying
3-axis hang gliders (Swift and a Millennium). I'd like to finish up
my glider rating as well and I'm looking for a place to travel to this
Winter to help move things forward.

Thanks in advance for the help.

John in Wisconsin

For USA location, you could look into the following:

Bermuda High Soaring in South Carolina.
Seminole Lake in Florida.
Miami Gliders(?)
Marfa, Texas.
Turf Soaring in Arizona.
Estrella in Arizona.

And probably others, such as in southern California.

But, of course, somewhere in Australia, New Zealand,
or South Africa during the winter time in the Northern
Hemisphere would be great, I assume!

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA
LS1-d

'JohnGamble' wrote in message
. com...
Hello,

I'm new to this group so maybe this topic has been
covered before, but
I thought I would ask:

I have taken 7 or 8 lessons scattered over the last
5 years but I just
haven't been able to dedicate the time yet to complete
my glider
rating. I've also spent a fair amount of time soaring
with a friend in
his glider a few years ago but I just haven't completed
my training.
I have many competing interests, but I'd like to re-focus.
I'd like
to take a week of vacation this Winter and focus my
time at a soaring
center in the US to work on my glider rating. Any
recommendations on
where to go? I have mainly spent my time the last
few years flying
3-axis hang gliders (Swift and a Millennium). I'd
like to finish up
my glider rating as well and I'm looking for a place
to travel to this
Winter to help move things forward.

Thanks in advance for the help.

John in Wisconsin

Boulder, CO, though hardly in the sunbelt, is in the lee of the
Rockies and often not so cold in the winter with snow very rare. Mile
High Gliding, Inc. is open all year, 9-5, 7 days.

See www.milehighgliding.com Lessons

Winter is an OUTSTANDING time to get a glider license,
Few soaring pilots are competing for gliders, in many places
the air is smooth, CFIs are easily available, and
examiners have few bookings. You can likely
get a tow pilot who will tow just you all day long.

On the other hand, it is in many places not good for
soaring. So your practice at thermalling will
need to wait for hotter weather.

The exception to this is post-frontal weather.
If your training schedule happens to hit one of these
days, then good for you.

In any case, enjoy! There are a LOT of fantastic
gliding locations in the US. I'd mainly pick one based
on having at least two of the same training glider,
regular (guaranteed) tow availability, and an instructor
who can work full time with you for a week, or however long it
takes.

In article ,
JohnGamble wrote:
Hello,

I'm new to this group so maybe this topic has been covered before, but
I thought I would ask:

I have taken 7 or 8 lessons scattered over the last 5 years but I just
haven't been able to dedicate the time yet to complete my glider
rating. I've also spent a fair amount of time soaring with a friend in
his glider a few years ago but I just haven't completed my training.
I have many competing interests, but I'd like to re-focus. I'd like
to take a week of vacation this Winter and focus my time at a soaring
center in the US to work on my glider rating. Any recommendations on
where to go? I have mainly spent my time the last few years flying
3-axis hang gliders (Swift and a Millennium). I'd like to finish up
my glider rating as well and I'm looking for a place to travel to this
Winter to help move things forward.

Thanks in advance for the help.

John in Wisconsin


--

------------+
Mark J. Boyd

(JohnGamble) wrote in message . com...
I'd like
to take a week of vacation this Winter and focus my time at a soaring
center in the US to work on my glider rating. Any recommendations on
where to go?

John,

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Minden. While not as warm as Turf
in Arizona, it's on the east side of the Sierras and therefore gets
much less precip than Lake Tahoe located just above it. I fly from the
SF Bay area in a motor glider and often, when the Sierras are
impassable due to clouds, Minden reports scattered cu. A real tease
for me.

Clearly, it would be a good idea to get some wx stats on places, like
avg number of sunny days, rainy days, etc. each month of the year.

Another plus to Minden is having great skiing and vistas literally
right next door. The only problem is, you might not want to go back to
Wisconsin.

Martin

Remember to bring proof of citizenship! The new rules require the
instructor to document you are a US citizen in your logbook.


"Martin Hellman" wrote in message
om...
(JohnGamble) wrote in message
. com...
I'd like
to take a week of vacation this Winter and focus my time at a soaring
center in the US to work on my glider rating. Any recommendations on
where to go?

John,

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Minden. While not as warm as Turf
in Arizona, it's on the east side of the Sierras and therefore gets
much less precip than Lake Tahoe located just above it. I fly from the
SF Bay area in a motor glider and often, when the Sierras are
impassable due to clouds, Minden reports scattered cu. A real tease
for me.

Clearly, it would be a good idea to get some wx stats on places, like
avg number of sunny days, rainy days, etc. each month of the year.

Another plus to Minden is having great skiing and vistas literally
right next door. The only problem is, you might not want to go back to
Wisconsin.

Martin

Thank you all for the great input both via this group thread, as well
as the many emails people are sending me. It will be hard to decide
where to go this Winter!! There are so many good choices. And you are
right... it will be hard to come back to cold Wisconsin to wait for
the Spring.

John

Check out Sundance Aviation in Moriarty, New Mexico. Great year round soaring
and close to Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque.