Terry,

I've found an excellent tool are the NAM Blipmaps:
http://www.drjack.info/BLIP/NAM/

If you can climb up to 5000ft agl and it is not particularly windy, you
would be able to safely attempt a silver distance. You can find the AGL
Hcrit, which says how high thermals go above the ground in the NAM info.

Also, regarding starting, you don't need to start that low. You can declare
a start and then you can start any altitude you want, so long as your
finish point is no greater than the 1% rule allows for. So if you can only
lose 1400ft, then if you go through your declared start at 6000ft MSL, you
must finish no lower than 4600ft MSL. However, that is probably a lot
easier than taking a very low tow.

Regards,
Daniel Sazhin

At 00:16 15 February 2013, Terry Pitts wrote:
Spring is getting near. I want to learn cross-country flying. I want to
do
=
the 50 km flight for the Silver badge.

Here=92s the first option I=92ve looked at: http://www.nscale160.com/xc/

Bermuda High (SC79, 550' msl) is 34 nautical miles west of the Marlboro
Cou=
nty Jetport (KBBP, 147'msl). Using the =93one percent rule=94 I can=92t
rel=
ease any higher than 1390' agl at Bermuda High if I'm simply going to
land
=
at BBP. I understand if I use a logger and arrive high enough over BBP
befo=
re landing that I=92m OK...

I suppose I could release higher, descend below 1390' agl in a good
thermal=
and then climb again and fly on. Hmmm.

If you look at the screen capture map on my website you'll see my initial
i=
dea. If you have any feedback on the route(s) I=92d be interested, but
that=
's not really the purpose of this post.

I=92d like to learn more about weather forecasting/understanding/planning
o=
r something like that.

What are good links to places you use to check the weather?

How do you know from looking at the weather that "today's a great day to
tr=
y a 50 km flight"?

Thanks in advance.

Terry