Best places for a soaring pilot to retire?

No one mentioned SoCal so far.
I always thought this is the ultimate spot for soaring year around. Somewhere near San Diego should be an hour from Warner Springs with its great year around soaring conditions, and couple of hours from Crystal and maybe 3 hours from Inyokern. So with 1-3 hours drive you'll have access to fantastic XC soaring and wave year around. Weather is great as well. Didn't check the cost of living yet.
East Bay Area (where I live) is also a good choice with access to year around XC soaring with 1-3 hours drive (Truckee, Hollister, Byron, Williams).
As for Mimden/Truckee area and other Great Basin soaring sites, they are great but only for 3-4 month during the summer. The rest of the year is wave or nothing, so unless you are a die hard wave pilot, your soaring season will be short. All my soaring buddies who moved from the Bay Area to retire in Minden area fly much less than I do...

Ramy

Tucson, Arizona.

Great Soaring all around the state. We have an enthusiastic soaring club in Tucson. The club is open year round.

Relatively low cost of living. Plenty of room to buy land if you want to build a home. Tons of homes available in this "Buyers Market". Cool getaways such as Mt. Lemon and Flagstaff. Lakes all over (With water) which are good for fishing, boating, and relaxing.

The three key words: No Shoveling Snow!!!

Do as I did: move to France! The French Alps is THE most popular soaring site in the world (fact, not opinion), and the French Riviera is one of the most sought after addresses. Yes, the cost of living is generally higher, but you get what you pay for. And, assuming you're a USA citizen, not paying any state income taxes helps, as does any tax write-offs going from the euro to the dollar.

A bientôt sur la piste!
Chris

If you learn to drive on the wrong side of the road, South Island New Zealand. I probably would not pick Omarama as it snows in winter but I would have a chalet there! I have not been to the club in Christchurch but met some of their member during the NZ Nationals, a great bunch. North Island is great if you don't have to go anywhere near Auckland in a car!

In the US you might look more at the club/facilities vs area. For example the Soaring Club of Houston enjoys year round flying (except for this crappy winter) an awesome club with great facilities (and not hard to find a week day tow), and inexpensive cost of living. Tucson is another good choice. Great club, all year flying, and cheap cost of living. Live on the northwest side of town because traffic sucks there too!

Tom

Le lundi 16 février 2015 14:26:56 UTC+1, Fox Two a écrit*:
Do as I did: move to France! The French Alps is THE most popular soaring site in the world (fact, not opinion), and the French Riviera is one of the most sought after addresses. Yes, the cost of living is generally higher, but you get what you pay for. And, assuming you're a USA citizen, not paying any state income taxes helps, as does any tax write-offs going from the euro to the dollar.

A bientôt sur la piste!
Chris

Southern France is indeed one of the best playgrounds in the world. Nothing beats taking off with the Mediterreanian Sea in view, stretching the flight into Central Switzerland and coming back to the sea in the evening :-)

Another place I'd consider is the Cape Town area. Nice people, not far from the ocean, living is relatively cheap, food is good and Worcester is one hour north, with fantastic gliding activity.

Bert
TW

On Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 4:41:00 PM UTC-5, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
Looking for new Ideas for places to retire. The usual considerations apply; cost of living, health care, weather, and available soaring. Doesn't have to be the US. near water would be nice. I own a Ventus C.

Anyone live in/near Grass Valley, CA? 1 hr from Truckee and Sacramento, 1.5 hrs from Williams, 2.5 hrs from Bay area.

Thanks for any suggestions

Matt

Has anyone mentioned NH yet?

Dennis

I'm retiring in Tucson, Arizona. A nice little college town with excellent soaring and no snow shoveling! If I had to stay in the USA, I'd also consider Utah or Nevada for Great Basin soaring or Colorado. No worthwhile places further east of the Rockies

Second on my list would be Southern Africa (I did live in Jo'burg for ten years) including Namibia (arguably the best cross-country soaring in the world).

Third would be New Zealand, best described as like 1950's Britain but with Internet! It's hard to get in, though (they don't want whiny immigrants looking for free healthcare!)

Mike

NH? Not really good year round soaring. Sure there is Mt Washington.
But an area that cancels a Winter Carnival (Alton Bay Ice Runway) because of too much snow and well below zero wind chill?
Lived there once, not planning on it for retirement.
BillT

Not sure there is one perfect place for year round. Many in Utah, Arizona and Nevada look at migrating like the birds. We have snowbirds and sunbirds depending on where is their primary home and secondary.

Southern Utah (St. George area) and Mesquite to Las Vegas and Arizona are nice for the winter months and Northern Utah is nice for summer with some of the best soaring in the world.

Logan has a group of Sunbirds that arrive each May through August from Arizona, Nevada and southern Utah. The summer rents are cheap and the university has a summer citizen program of courses. With live theater and a college town selection of restaurants it is a great way to spend the summer.

You get nearly two seasons of soaring and a great mix of flying.

On Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 2:41:00 PM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
Looking for new Ideas for places to retire. The usual considerations apply; cost of living, health care, weather, and available soaring. Doesn't have to be the US. near water would be nice. I own a Ventus C.

Anyone live in/near Grass Valley, CA? 1 hr from Truckee and Sacramento, 1.5 hrs from Williams, 2.5 hrs from Bay area.

Thanks for any suggestions

Matt

You guys lack a sense of adventure. How about San Martin de los Andes in Argentina. World class soaring and fantastic scenery. 1st world currencies go a long, long way in Argentina these days.