Friday, March 03, 2023

2022 Soaring Summary

The map below shows traces from 66 cross country flights in my ASG29 during 2022, totaling 27923 miles or 44,873 km (which is 10% more than the earth circumference!), and 438 hours, averaging 423 miles (680 km) per cross country flight, at an average speed of 64 mph.  The flights spanned from the Canadian border to the Mexican border, covering most of California, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Idaho, including visits to Oregon, Wyoming and Arizona.  During those trips I visited 20 airports (planned and unplanned), and 1 farm field in the Cuyama valley. 

This was my most successful soaring year by many measures. 

 

Highlights:

  • 6th place in the OLC-USA Champion category
  • 2nd place in the OLC-USA All Flights category 
  • Flew more hours and more distance this year than any prior year (nearly 45,000 km, more than circumnavigating the earth)  
  • Had 13 flights between 1000-1300km, the most I ever done in one season, another personal best
  • Very scenic straight out wave flight from Williams to Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez along the Big Sur Coast
  • Memorable Out and Return 1000km flight to Crater Lake from Truckee
  • Straight out to Truckee from Warner Springs
  • Scenic flights over the northern cascades to the Canadian border from Methow valley
  • Straight out from Methow to Boise, ID
 
Some of my favorite 2022 soaring photos:

Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho

Santa Barbara


Santa Barbara Coast

North Cascades, WA

Zion Canyon, UT

Bryce Canyon, UT

Grand Canyon, AZ

Tonopah, NV

Crater Lake, OR

Big Sur Coast

Monterey

Point Conception

Morro Bay