How do you interpret weather reports when considering a cross-country flight?

On Monday, February 18, 2013 11:35:24 AM UTC-7, noel.wade wrote:
Many people have already pointed out some online resources. I'd like

to take a different tack and suggest some reading. Bob Wander has 3

books I think are VERY helpful for anyone learning to fly XC (I'm not

affiliated with Mr. Wander in any way. I just like his books because

they helped me a lot, when I started about 5 years ago):



Thermals

Breaking the Apron Strings

The Cross-Country Manual for Glider-Pilots



...and he has a package deal with a couple of books on Badge Soaring.

Its $69... BUT its really good stuff and it'll pay for itself by

saving you a tow or two.

http://www.bobwander.com/cgi/generat...ckage_xc.jp g

(image of the package deal)



The website is http://www.bobwander.com and the books are under the

"Cross Country Soaring" or "All Package Deals" categories.



Good luck, have fun, and keep at it!



--Noel
Another excellent reference for badges and XC can be found here
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/books...ngMadeEasy.htm

On Monday, February 18, 2013 9:05:26 PM UTC-7, K wrote:
On Monday, February 18, 2013 11:35:24 AM UTC-7, noel.wade wrote:

Many people have already pointed out some online resources. I'd like



to take a different tack and suggest some reading. Bob Wander has 3



books I think are VERY helpful for anyone learning to fly XC (I'm not



affiliated with Mr. Wander in any way. I just like his books because



they helped me a lot, when I started about 5 years ago):







Thermals



Breaking the Apron Strings



The Cross-Country Manual for Glider-Pilots







...and he has a package deal with a couple of books on Badge Soaring.



Its $69... BUT its really good stuff and it'll pay for itself by



saving you a tow or two.



http://www.bobwander.com/cgi/generat...ckage_xc.jp g



(image of the package deal)







The website is http://www.bobwander.com and the books are under the



"Cross Country Soaring" or "All Package Deals" categories.







Good luck, have fun, and keep at it!







--Noel

Another excellent reference for badges and XC can be found here

http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/books...ngMadeEasy.htm
Nothing to do with WX but it helps to be prepared
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/books...rtLandings.htm

On Monday, February 18, 2013 5:08:41 PM UTC-6, Steve Leonard wrote:
On Monday, February 18, 2013 1:54:21 PM UTC-6, wrote:



The best advice I can give is to read the sporting code before making the flight. There is an ad on TV that says "they can't put anything wrong on the internet". This could not be further from the truth, especially on RAS. At the risk of comitting the same sin, my last read was that you can do a Silver distance using a remote start. The distance scored is from the remote start to the landing point. Altitude loss is from release to landing. Now that one more recollection is out there, go read the rules. Good luck and have fun UH



Thread creep happening, but I can't help it. Yes, Hank, you can put something on the internet that is "wrong". You can't put stuff on the internet that "isn't true." Uh, Bawn Jurr. :-)



Reading rules can be confusing. Decide what you want to do (fly straight out to a landing that will get enough distance covered for your Silver Distance) then talk to someone else that has read the rules and see if they agree with your approach. Again, note, I want to see you fly straight out for your Silver Distance. Land at another airport. Spread you wings.



I gave up one of the best soaring days of the summer a few years back to chase a friend on his Silver Distance. We picked an airport about 75 miles out for him to fly to. We got there first, and hid the crew car and trailer in a hangar. He reported he was overhead. We told him we didn't see him. He started to get nervous. He described the airport location and surroundings perfectly. We told he we still did not see him. Even though we did. He flew further towards the next town, verified everything on his map and came back to where he had been. We pulled the crew car and trailer out of the hangar and said "Oh, now we see you. Do you see us? Been here all the time." We had a friend's 10 or 12 year old son sign as one of the landing witnesses. They lived close by the airport.



You can't do that on an out and return. Yeah, it is more work for more people, but get your Silver Distance by flying straight out. It is a lot of fun. I did mine straight out. The map showed the runway diagonalling differently than what I saw from the air. I landed at Minneapolis, Kansas. There was a sign on one of the buildings that said "El Dorado". No way was I that lost (Minneaplois was straight north, El Dorado was nearly straight east)! Turns out they built El Dorado motorhomes on the airport at Minneapolis, Kansas.



Steve

Steve,
Thanks for the memories and of course you are right. Did my Silver C that way back in Germany in '81 in a Ka-8. My wife and the kids came to pick me up. If you have a crew, by all means go off into the blue yonder and see what you find at the end of the rainbow...
Herb

wrote:
On Monday, February 18, 2013 5:08:41 PM UTC-6, Steve Leonard wrote:
On Monday, February 18, 2013 1:54:21 PM UTC-6, wrote:



The best advice I can give is to read the sporting code before making
the flight. There is an ad on TV that says "they can't put anything
wrong on the internet". This could not be further from the truth,
especially on RAS. At the risk of comitting the same sin, my last
read was that you can do a Silver distance using a remote start. The
distance scored is from the remote start to the landing point.
Altitude loss is from release to landing. Now that one more
recollection is out there, go read the rules. Good luck and have fun UH



Thread creep happening, but I can't help it. Yes, Hank, you can put
something on the internet that is "wrong". You can't put stuff on the
internet that "isn't true." Uh, Bawn Jurr. :-)



Reading rules can be confusing. Decide what you want to do (fly
straight out to a landing that will get enough distance covered for your
Silver Distance) then talk to someone else that has read the rules and
see if they agree with your approach. Again, note, I want to see you
fly straight out for your Silver Distance. Land at another airport. Spread you wings.



I gave up one of the best soaring days of the summer a few years back to
chase a friend on his Silver Distance. We picked an airport about 75
miles out for him to fly to. We got there first, and hid the crew car
and trailer in a hangar. He reported he was overhead. We told him we
didn't see him. He started to get nervous. He described the airport
location and surroundings perfectly. We told he we still did not see
him. Even though we did. He flew further towards the next town,
verified everything on his map and came back to where he had been. We
pulled the crew car and trailer out of the hangar and said "Oh, now we
see you. Do you see us? Been here all the time." We had a friend's 10
or 12 year old son sign as one of the landing witnesses. They lived
close by the airport.



You can't do that on an out and return. Yeah, it is more work for more
people, but get your Silver Distance by flying straight out. It is a
lot of fun. I did mine straight out. The map showed the runway
diagonalling differently than what I saw from the air. I landed at
Minneapolis, Kansas. There was a sign on one of the buildings that said
"El Dorado". No way was I that lost (Minneaplois was straight north, El
Dorado was nearly straight east)! Turns out they built El Dorado
motorhomes on the airport at Minneapolis, Kansas.



Steve

Steve,
Thanks for the memories and of course you are right. Did my Silver C
that way back in Germany in '81 in a Ka-8. My wife and the kids came to
pick me up. If you have a crew, by all means go off into the blue yonder
and see what you find at the end of the rainbow...
Herb

Love this discussion. While I didn't do the downwind run, I did mine in a
Ka-6Cr. It was a pretty decent day and I managed to log 177 olc km.

Herb show us vintage guys some love :-)

Pete

PS steal a Ka8 and come out to Wichita for Tony's low performance contest
:-)