Best places for a soaring pilot to retire?

On Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 6:25:08 PM UTC-8, JJ Sinclair wrote:
Matt, I have flown all the major soaring sites in the West for over 40 years and it is my considered opinion that you can't beat the Sierras in the summer, July being the best. Air Sailing Sports Regional Championships has been the most consistently GOOD flying I have seen, year after year with speeds in the 80's or higher and 3 hour average tasking. See you there and anyone else who would like to experience the Sierras at its best!
JJ

Indeed cant beat the sierras (actually the great basin) in the summer.
I am still trying to figure where one can live to have access to consistent great soaring conditions *year around* within few hours drive at most. This is where I would like to retire. Does such a place exist?

Ramy

On Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 2:47:21 PM UTC-8, Ramy wrote:
On Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 6:25:08 PM UTC-8, JJ Sinclair wrote:
Matt, I have flown all the major soaring sites in the West for over 40 years and it is my considered opinion that you can't beat the Sierras in the summer, July being the best. Air Sailing Sports Regional Championships has been the most consistently GOOD flying I have seen, year after year with speeds in the 80's or higher and 3 hour average tasking. See you there and anyone else who would like to experience the Sierras at its best!
JJ

Indeed cant beat the sierras (actually the great basin) in the summer.
I am still trying to figure where one can live to have access to consistent great soaring conditions *year around* within few hours drive at most. This is where I would like to retire. Does such a place exist?

Ramy

I flew for years out of a San Diego area glider port "Warner Springs". Good people, reasonable conditions year around. Flew some long flights in the summer, but usually moved to the sierras for the summer season. Winter flying has weak thermals but have still done 200 miles without ever getting higher than 1,500 agl. Plus San Diego is a great place to be when not flying. I like the idea of France though, will have to think much more about that. Already bought copy of Rosetta Stone!

It appears that the soaring season has already begun in Southern France! We've had 3 good days in a row for February, with each day producing 200+km tasks. And Tuesday is forecast to be a wave day.

Jonathan,

To answer you earlier question about learning French, I had no language training until I decided to move here. A few years before moving, I started taking private lessons. During the last 12 months before the move, the lessons became more intensive. When I arrived in France, I had what I'd call an intermediate level of French knowledge, but it was immediately clear that I could barely hear it or speak it. 18 months later I was accepted as fluent, although as I'm not a native speaker, I'll never stop learning or improving my French. Rosetta Stone is a great tool for getting ready for a vacation. Becoming fluent will require immersion.

It sounds like you've already been bitten by the francophile bug! Perhaps an Alpine soaring vacation sold to your other half as a vacation on the French Riviera might be a possibility! Send me an email so we don't annoy the others with this French stuff.

Chris

c (dot) j (dot) fleming (at) hotmail (dot) com

When I moved to France, I didn't speak a word of French ("sortie" on the highway was the first I learned when I was moving my stuff).

I took 2 months of a half-day crash course at Grenoble University (not cheap, but very efficient), and after that I could get along. Six month later I was able to fight back a supplier on the phone.
At this time (25 years ago), people did frown at you if you didn't at least try French first. This has changed considerably since.

And as Chris said, immersion is the key. Also important - don't be afraid of making mistakes. 25 years later, my family is still sometimes laughing at me... but then I'd switch to German and have a laugh at them.

On Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 2:47:21 PM UTC-8, Ramy wrote:
On Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 6:25:08 PM UTC-8, JJ Sinclair wrote:
Matt, I have flown all the major soaring sites in the West for over 40 years and it is my considered opinion that you can't beat the Sierras in the summer, July being the best. Air Sailing Sports Regional Championships has been the most consistently GOOD flying I have seen, year after year with speeds in the 80's or higher and 3 hour average tasking. See you there and anyone else who would like to experience the Sierras at its best!
JJ

Indeed cant beat the sierras (actually the great basin) in the summer.
I am still trying to figure where one can live to have access to consistent great soaring conditions *year around* within few hours drive at most. This is where I would like to retire. Does such a place exist?

Ramy

Ramy,

How about grass valley? 1 hr from truckee, 1.5 hrs from williams, occasional snow in the winter, 1 hr from sac intl. airport.