As I write this post I realize it was a truly remarkable year for me. This was my best soaring year.
The traces below are from 61 cross country
flights in my ASG29 during 2021,
totaling 24316 miles (39,133 km)
and 376 hours, averaging 399 miles (642 km) per
cross country flight, at an average speed of 65 mph. The flights
spanned most of California, Nevada, Utah and New Mexico, including crossing over to
Idaho, Colorado and Arizona. During those trips I
visited 11 airports (planned and unplanned), and 2 farm fields.
Highlights and achievements:
- 4th place in the OLC-USA Champion category (10th Worldwide)
- 2nd place in the OLC-USA All Flights category
- The most total distance flown in a year (nearly 25,000 miles as long as circumnavigating the earth)
- Had my longest average distance and fastest average speed for the year
- Had 11 flights over 1000km, the most I ever done in one season
- Had my longest thermal flight - 1200km FAI Triangle (1300km OLC) from Ely
- Had my fastest flight at 171 kph from Moriarty
- Had my longest flight to the north from Byron to abeam Eureka
- Very scenic wave flights to San Francisco peninsula and Golden Gate Bridge from Williams and Byron
- Scenic Bay Tour thermal flight to Sausalito, Mt Tam and Marin Headlands
- Multiple "Round the Horn" flights from Williams to the northern and western sierras via Shasta
- First time to Truckee and back from Williams
- Round the horn flights from Hollister and Panoche to the sierras via Tehachapi and back to Hollister
- My longest NE flight from Williams to Ft Bidwell near Lakeview and back
- Straight out from Warner Springs to goal at Truckee (SSA Barringer Trophy) with my wife crewing
Some of my favorite 2021 soaring photos:
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Over San Francisco
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| SFO |
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San Francisco Peninsula
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Muir Beach
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SF and the Golden Gate Bridge
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Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate Bridge
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Launching at Moriarty
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Tiburon and Angel Island
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Lake Tahoe
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| Berkley |
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Santa Cruz
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Lenticulars near Williams
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Mountain View
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