Do people fly gliders during the winter?
JerryK
winter?
I am located in Northern California and am interested in getting into
gliding. I already have Comm, Inst, ME and SE rating, but want to try a
pure form of flying. So I thought I would go by Byron, CA. However, I was
wondering if people fly out there during the winter. Is there enough lift
to make a resonable flight?
Thanks,
Jerry
George Vranek
"JerryK" <jer...@acrues.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
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ft mountain chain called Alpes. We fly gliders during the winter, if the
wind is strong enough. I only recommend you to "organize" sam sort of
electrical heating in your shoes, because there is no one knob in the glider
cockpit with a "HEATING ON" placard.
George
>
BTIZ
summer flying provides thermals and ample cross country flying.. winter we
wait for wind/wave/ridge lift.. and stay pretty close to the airport.. last
Sat I few over an hour in a narrow secondary ridge/wave.. the lift band was
only 500ft.. from about 2000ft AGL to 2500ft AGL.. they wind was only about
10-15knts over a 1500ft ridge high close to the airport.
Those guys up at Minden/Tahoe will talk of wave flights into the ether.. and
winter cross country flights up and down the Sierra's...
go for it..
TIZ
"JerryK" <jer...@acrues.com> wrote in message
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Al
Marc Ramsey
of lift in the spring and summer to play with. The Northern California
Soaring Association (http://bethany.edu/psych/ncsa/) operates out of Byron
on weekends. There are also commercial operations to the south at Hollister
(http://www.soarhollister.com/index3.htm), and to the north, at Williams
(http://www.williamssoaring.com/), and at Middletown (Crazy Creek Soaring,
707-987-9112).
Marc
"JerryK" <jer...@acrues.com> wrote...
Steven VFR
At our club in Ohio we don't fly much during the middle of the winter (Dec-Feb)
But we always fly NewYears Day, just to DO it) Worst problem?....keeping the
canopy from frosting over from our breathing.
We may not have the 'Wave' of NV...but when some of our members make 5 or 6
hour flights....we have the satisfaction of knowing we certainly earned it.
(course..those 10min sliders are a little common for us:)
Steve
airgonzo
tow(Byron)....unless you are one of the new group of DG-80* owners out
there....Mt Diablo has been occasionally kind to us in hangliders during the
winter month's. your best bet is to make contact with the local club/group
and see if the "trends" fit your needs.
As far as training goes you gotta see if they train in the winter ,at the
beginning who cares what the air is doing?
RamyYanetz
Jose. They operate all year long, during the week as well. You may even get
some soaring there during the winter, especially post frontal thermals and pre
frontal waves.
http://www.soarhollister.com/index3.htm
Ramy Yanetz
Dan Dunkel
Middletown--between Calistoga and Clear Lake. I had a nice almost-3-hour
flight there on Tuesday.
They have recently done a lot of work on the runway, and it is in great
shape. The runway surface was new this spring. Within the last few weeks,
they have rolled the gravel sides of the runway to the point that it is
almost as good as the pavement. Even with all the recent rains, it was not
muddy.
-Dan
"JerryK" <jer...@acrues.com> wrote in message
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Jim W
what I now recall as probably a Schweizer 2-33 drifted past overhead. I
suspect it was a smooth, all downhill sled ride in very stable conditions.
This was before I had become involved in soaring and did not know glider
types at the time.
Jim W
Somebody does...or did.
Years ago before I had become involved in soaring I was surprised to see a
glider drifting one mid-winter-afternoon overhead Fairbanks, Alaska in what
appeared to be a sled ride through a stable, winter sky. I recall the bank
time-temperature clock read about 30 below.
I now suspect the glider was a Schweizer 2-33 or 2-22. I have since
accumulated my share of backseat IP time in both of those drafty aircraft,
and I can guarantee that the backseater especially, if there was one, was
having a chilling ride that day.
Pete Brown
know that flying in -30F (on the ground) is aberrant behavior. Since it
had probably recently warmed up from -50 below, they were probably
looking for thermals.
Did they have the nav lights on? It can still be pretty dark in early Feb.
Pete Brown
Anchorage
DGRTEK
thermal activity, but I will get to practice 3 Tow's and Landings. Something I
very definately need to do.
Douglas
JerryK
field? I have never tried to land my twin on grass.
jerry
"Dan Dunkel" <AntiSpa...@ccnet.com> wrote in message
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John Morgan
> Does the owner let you fly your plane in there for lessons? Also, how is
the
> field? I have never tried to land my twin on grass.
>
> jerry
> at
> > Middletown--between Calistoga and Clear Lake. I had a nice
almost-3-hour
> > flight there on Tuesday.
> >
> > They have recently done a lot of work on the runway, and it is in great
> > shape. The runway surface was new this spring. Within the last few
> weeks,
> > they have rolled the gravel sides of the runway to the point that it is
> > almost as good as the pavement. Even with all the recent rains, it was
> not
> > muddy.
Crazy Creek's phone number is 707 987 9112.
Owner: Jim & Connie Indrebo . . . good people.
I flew in when I was taking lessons there, but since it's a private airport,
I would call them and ask first. This was before the runway improvements and
I've only flown in with taildraggers.
I last flew in after the paving and before the first rains of the season*.
Though it was rolled, the gravel at the edge of the paved section was still
soft. It has probably bedded in some with the rain and additional rolling,
but I wouldn't try landing there with my Mooney.
*Flew in with Starduster biplane. Runway is so narrow that in the flair I
could not see any pavement at all in my peripheral vision. One wheel drifted
into the gravel and the gravel immediately tried to "grab it"! Was able to
save it, but resulting swerve probably looked either pretty ugly or funny,
depending on one's point of view. Fortunately nobody was watching so I
recovered from the embarrassment quietly.
bumper