Hi All,
We have enjoyed many Gold Badge Climbs (9,843’) wave flights to 12,000’-14,000’
MSL at Harris Hill.
The wave is produced, not from a mountain, but from a series of about 5 deep
valleys perpendicular to the wind flow ending with the Route 414 valley running
from Corning to Watkins Glen.
The opportunity is usually missed because of focusing on ridge or thermal lift
– lack of situational awareness issue.
Some of the conditions needed are:
1. Wind direction ± 310° all the way up
2. Increasing wind velocity with altitude
3. Cloud streets perpendicular to the wind (really roll clouds, situational
awareness again)
The process to achieve as Gold climb:
1. Release on the ridge or else descend as low as comfortable in the
ridge lift, say 2,000’ MSL (300’ above HH ridge)
2. Climb to cloud base in ridge-thermal lift. (typically 4,000’-6,000’)
MSL
3. Push upwind at cloud base into the wave lift
4. Fly into the wind or tack back and forth to stay in the lift. Normal
error is being blown downwind out of the lift zone.
5. If you are using an Oudie moving map, zoom into 1 mile and look at the
lift color values of the trace so you may move back to the best location.
6. Prior experience says a line from the hamlet of Big Flats to the “6”
runway number at Elmira airport has been the best location
7. Be sure you have an approved IGC logger or barograph on board.
8. You may still enjoy the climb without a logger. Dress warmly!
Enjoy.
SeeYou USA
Roy McMaster
"Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!" Anon
265 Lew Storch Road (South of Harris Hill and the National Soaring Museum)
Elmira, NY 14903-9345
Office <tel:607-734-4308> 607-734-4308
Fax <tel:607-734-4309> 607-734-4309
Cell: 607-215-3447 <tel:607-215-3447>
Email: roy.mcmaster.1@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:roy.mcmaster.1@xxxxxxxxx>
From: hhsc1-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:hhsc1-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Thomas Berry
Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2015 4:24 PM
To: Harris Hill <hhsc1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: New member section page: Predicting Wave around the Hill
We get wave from time to time around the Hill and Andy Brayer has been studying
how to predict it, particularly as it often appears in the Fall. He sent me
some information on how to use skew-t to predict wave at the Hill and I
included it in a special wave page in our member’s section so we’d have a
reference for it. It is located here:
http://www.harrishillsoaring.org/private/HHSC_Members/Wave.html
If you have additional advice or pointers for finding/locating/flying wave
around the Hill, I’m all ears and would be happy to add it to this page.
If you’d like to opine about other weather conditions or thermal/ridge advice,
I’d also love to collect that for future reference by student and fellow
pilots. I’d really like to be able to provide them with a “what weather
conditions make for great soaring” at the Hill page if possible. Send that
advice along to me if you want, but don’t hit “reply all” unless you really
intend to share it with everyone on the list.
-Tom
