Best consistent ridge soaring site

Consistent is the key word here. When its good, the Pennsylvania (and north and south) ridges are great. But you can go for weeks without a good ridge day. Just look at the flights for this year on OLC. I'm told by those have been doing this much longer than me that ridge days were much more common in the good old days. I'll second the suggestion to call Tom Knauff. If its predicted to be a good day you could almost certainly get a ride with Tom or one of his instructors. Be careful, though. When the soaring bug bites you you'll wonder why you spent all that time and money getting a power rating. ;)

Mike

Not to get too persnickety on this subject, but I don't think it's true that there were more ridge days in the past. There are a lot more ridge-soarable days than folks realize in the appalachians, including backside (SE) days. But, a lot of folks don't come out for the marginal ones or the ones where the day is going to die early, which are often good training days. In fact, it's probably ridgeable right now, should be tomorrow morning, backside on Saturday, then NW again on Sunday. If you are "on the property", you might be able to get several days in, even if they aren't the sort of days you'd drive 4 hours for.

I have to look, but I think we had at least a dozen backside days this year and a similar number NW (which is a bit low), though we couldn't fly at Blairstown on several good NW days due to tow operations or other issues.

P3

On Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 1:41:30 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Consistent is the key word here. When its good, the Pennsylvania (and north and south) ridges are great. But you can go for weeks without a good ridge day. Just look at the flights for this year on OLC. I'm told by those have been doing this much longer than me that ridge days were much more common in the good old days. I'll second the suggestion to call Tom Knauff. If its predicted to be a good day you could almost certainly get a ride with Tom or one of his instructors. Be careful, though. When the soaring bug bites you you'll wonder why you spent all that time and money getting a power rating. ;)

Mike

I've wondered if there was an actual data to back up the recollections and have never taken the time to look into it. And you're right about marginal/short days. In the case of Ridge Soaring, its remote enough for most pilots that conditions have to be pretty good to justify the trip. Those days have been pretty scarce, at least in my opinion. I'm pretty sure there are many more days that are suitable intro/training flights.

Half the population of the USA is within a 500 mile circle around Ridge Soaring Gliderport. It is about a 4 hour drive or less from western Ohio, northern NY, southern Virginia.

The spring and fall "ridge seasons" are easily predictable, and if the ridge winds are not blowing, the thermals are augmented by the undulating earth /mountains. Thermals can reach 18,000 feet, and we have flown over 39,000 feet in wave lift.

Bottom line - watch the weather. it is worth the drive.

Finally, don't put it off. Doris and I are ready to retire, and we are not sure there is enough interest in the gliding community to preserve the Gliderport.

Great ridge day today, (Friday, Nov 17) and probably tomorrow.

Tom Knauff

On Friday, November 17, 2017 at 5:43:50 PM UTC+3, wrote:
Half the population of the USA is within a 500 mile circle around Ridge Soaring Gliderport.

That's an astounding statistic, especially considering how much of that circle lies in the Atlantic Ocean. Chicago is an easy walk outside that circle, and Nashville and Atlanta maybe 50 miles.

It might well be that near half the population of Canada is in that circle too! Quebec is 25 miles outside it, but Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton are well inside.

Don't get me wrong, Ridge Soaring is an awesome place and definitely worth the drive. As a matter of fact, half the experience is staying in the bunkhouse and having a beverage with some of the best/most interesting pilots and people you'll ever meet. I feel a little bad for the people who choose to stay in hotels. If work didn't prevent it, I'd be making the five hour drive right now.

P.S. - Get on their e-mail/newletter list. Tom normally sends something out if it looks like good flying is in store.