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#1
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Top 20 XC Soaring Sites in the US
Looking for cross-country soaring sites to visit on vacation? Places to retire with top-notch soaring?
I’ve done an analysis based on three years of US OLC (Online Contest) flight data covering 270+ sites, more than 40,000 flights, and in excess of 5 million miles flown. YMMV. Map is at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1F_...PQ&usp=sharing For more details about the analysis, see the Soaring Club of Houston web page: https://sites.google.com/site/soarin...-soaring-sites To our European and international pilots (hint, hint) - would be great if someone would create a similar map for Europe, or global. Great publicity for your club or location - within a day of posting this to US SSA’s Facebook page (reposted to many club’s pages), the Google map had over 2000 views. Frank Allen, SCOH |
#2
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Top 20 XC Soaring Sites in the US
Neat. But isn't total OLC miles flown at a site more a proxy measure of population density, wealth and leisure time than an indicator of being a great soaring site?
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#3
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Top 20 XC Soaring Sites in the US
There aren't that many active glider pilots at Moriarty, but we do fly a
lot as well as year round! We also get a lot of visiting pilots and host many get togethers. I'm sure those last two factors are included in the results. On 12/27/2016 9:56 AM, wrote: Neat. But isn't total OLC miles flown at a site more a proxy measure of population density, wealth and leisure time than an indicator of being a great soaring site? -- Dan, 5J |
#4
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Top 20 XC Soaring Sites in the US
On Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at 8:22:34 AM UTC-8, V1 wrote:
Looking for cross-country soaring sites to visit on vacation? Places to retire with top-notch soaring? I’ve done an analysis based on three years of US OLC (Online Contest) flight data covering 270+ sites, more than 40,000 flights, and in excess of 5 million miles flown. YMMV. Map is at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1F_...PQ&usp=sharing For more details about the analysis, see the Soaring Club of Houston web page: https://sites.google.com/site/soarin...-soaring-sites To our European and international pilots (hint, hint) - would be great if someone would create a similar map for Europe, or global. Great publicity for your club or location - within a day of posting this to US SSA’s Facebook page (reposted to many club’s pages), the Google map had over 2000 views. Frank Allen, SCOH You missed some flights for Montague/Siskiyou County CA. 75900 points for the 3 years with 50% over 300k in the best year. We have a 7500'X150' paved runway with a large glider tie down area. Most flights were out of Siskiyou Co Airport and we got these points without a large contest or encampment. We now have 9 pilots that fly out of this site only about half post on the OLC. Richard, www.craggyaero.com |
#5
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Top 20 XC Soaring Sites in the US
On Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at 9:56:21 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Neat. But isn't total OLC miles flown at a site more a proxy measure of population density, wealth and leisure time than an indicator of being a great soaring site? Interesting......Well, let's see now...New Mexico in one of the poorest states in the US...On population, New Mexico's population only is a bit over 2 million (900K in the Albuquerque metro area).....and on leisure time, yes indeed, we have a fair amount of "leisure time" out here in NM and a fair number of retirees that upload OLC flights, but we also have a lot of folks that are working that manage to take advantage of the outstanding soaring conditions at Moriarty. Let there be no doubt that Moriarty is not #1 on this list due to population density, wealth and leisure time.....Moriarty is # 1 due to truly has outstanding soaring conditions, an excellent airport with the many support services that glider pilots are always looking for and of course, some really outstanding pilots. It truly is a "great soaring site!" Finally, having said this, there may be some location in the US that is truly the very best (whatever "best" means), but if there are no pilots, no airports and no infrastructure for flying there, it will definitely not make the Top 20 list!! ;-) |
#6
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Top 20 XC Soaring Sites in the US
Many places are seasonal.
The Appalachian chain with "a low up high and a high down low" is loads of fun. But the best soaring is often where nobody would go on vacation, the Great Basin being a decent example. Tonopah, Nevada is a great place for Summer XC but other than the brewery there is little infrastructure left on Doon. Ely has much better infrastructure, but no longer has regular tows available. Don't think they have a brewery, but the hardware store has a great selection of stainless metric hardware. You can fly the Great Basin from quite a few places along the edge. The Utah locations are shy on decent beer. Moriarty's pretty consistent weather combined with a relatively low cost of living has attracted many. And it has a brewery. Come to think of it, Tehachapi has a brewery too. Internationally, you won't find much population density (especially with any wealth) outside of Windhoek, Namibia yet it's obvious that Bitterwasser, Kiripotib and Pokweni offer tremendous soaring. December always seems to be the best for them. Wonder if they have a brewery? Jim |
#7
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Top 20 XC Soaring Sites in the US
What do glider pilots need other than lift and beer? :-D
On 12/27/2016 11:27 AM, JS wrote: Many places are seasonal. The Appalachian chain with "a low up high and a high down low" is loads of fun. But the best soaring is often where nobody would go on vacation, the Great Basin being a decent example. Tonopah, Nevada is a great place for Summer XC but other than the brewery there is little infrastructure left on Doon. Ely has much better infrastructure, but no longer has regular tows available. Don't think they have a brewery, but the hardware store has a great selection of stainless metric hardware. You can fly the Great Basin from quite a few places along the edge. The Utah locations are shy on decent beer. Moriarty's pretty consistent weather combined with a relatively low cost of living has attracted many. And it has a brewery. Come to think of it, Tehachapi has a brewery too. Internationally, you won't find much population density (especially with any wealth) outside of Windhoek, Namibia yet it's obvious that Bitterwasser, Kiripotib and Pokweni offer tremendous soaring. December always seems to be the best for them. Wonder if they have a brewery? Jim -- Dan, 5J |
#8
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Top 20 XC Soaring Sites in the US
Thanks for putting this together!
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#9
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Top 20 XC Soaring Sites in the US
Here is a list of top 50 breweries of 2015. San Diego shows up multiple times, even SLC shows up on the list. Out of San Diego there is Warner Springs, home to many National Champs, two from same family one of the local pilots will be flying WGC 2017. Four hours drive to Tehachapai, gateway to the Sierra's. I know the owner of Ballast point, sold brewery for 1 billion dollars. Told him he needs a helicopter and I could fly it for him (commercial, instrument rotorcraft). He said "No". Instead he is wasting the money on college for the kids, home and cars.
On Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at 10:27:23 AM UTC-8, JS wrote: Many places are seasonal. The Appalachian chain with "a low up high and a high down low" is loads of fun. But the best soaring is often where nobody would go on vacation, the Great Basin being a decent example. Tonopah, Nevada is a great place for Summer XC but other than the brewery there is little infrastructure left on Doon. Ely has much better infrastructure, but no longer has regular tows available. Don't think they have a brewery, but the hardware store has a great selection of stainless metric hardware. You can fly the Great Basin from quite a few places along the edge. The Utah locations are shy on decent beer. Moriarty's pretty consistent weather combined with a relatively low cost of living has attracted many. And it has a brewery. Come to think of it, Tehachapi has a brewery too. Internationally, you won't find much population density (especially with any wealth) outside of Windhoek, Namibia yet it's obvious that Bitterwasser, Kiripotib and Pokweni offer tremendous soaring. December always seems to be the best for them. Wonder if they have a brewery? Jim |
#10
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Top 20 XC Soaring Sites in the US
Below is a list of top 50 breweries of 2015. San Diego shows up multiple times, even SLC shows up on the list. Out of San Diego there is Warner Springs, home to many National Champs, two from same family one of the local pilots will be flying WGC 2017. Four hours drive to Tehachapai, gateway to the Sierra's. I know the owner of Ballast point, sold brewery for 1 billion dollars. Told him he needs a helicopter and I could fly it for him (commercial, instrument rotorcraft). He said "No". Instead he is wasting the money on college for the kids, home and cars.
https://www.brewersassociation.org/p...reweries-2015/ On Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at 10:27:23 AM UTC-8, JS wrote: Many places are seasonal. The Appalachian chain with "a low up high and a high down low" is loads of fun. But the best soaring is often where nobody would go on vacation, the Great Basin being a decent example. Tonopah, Nevada is a great place for Summer XC but other than the brewery there is little infrastructure left on Doon. Ely has much better infrastructure, but no longer has regular tows available. Don't think they have a brewery, but the hardware store has a great selection of stainless metric hardware. You can fly the Great Basin from quite a few places along the edge. The Utah locations are shy on decent beer. Moriarty's pretty consistent weather combined with a relatively low cost of living has attracted many. And it has a brewery. Come to think of it, Tehachapi has a brewery too. Internationally, you won't find much population density (especially with any wealth) outside of Windhoek, Namibia yet it's obvious that Bitterwasser, Kiripotib and Pokweni offer tremendous soaring. December always seems to be the best for them. Wonder if they have a brewery? Jim |
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