learn to fly – Proving Grounds https://soaringtasks.com Supporting novice glider pilots becoming soaring pilots. Mon, 21 Nov 2022 03:14:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.13 246188789 Proving Grounds World Tour Condor Contest https://soaringtasks.com/2022/11/20/proving-grounds-world-tour-condor-contest/ https://soaringtasks.com/2022/11/20/proving-grounds-world-tour-condor-contest/#respond Mon, 21 Nov 2022 03:07:17 +0000 https://soaringtasks.com/?p=1363 SEE DETAILS ]]> Registration Open! Link



Join members of the Proving Grounds team on Sunday nights (8:30EST) for a friendly tour through various Proving Grounds installations from around the world organized through a Condor Club soaring competition.



There will be 16 racing tasks, with your 10 best scores defining your overall place in the competition. The real winners will be novice pilots who take this opportunity to discuss and practice soaring strategies, even how to use their flight computers through the event! Join the voice chat using the Discord platform to talk strategies, tools, technique and so much more.



November 11, 2023 map of global Proving Grounds installations

Two practice weeks kick off on November 20, the first race is on December 4th!



The Condor soaring simulator is an incredible tool to help introduce XC soaring and task flying to pilots interested in flying tasks in real gliders. It’s an effective way to gain comfort with a flight computer – setup, task definition, and use in flight.



The Proving Grounds ‘Task Master’ Chris is the leader of the contest, fresh off a great 2022 racing season in real life – 2nd in FAI Class at the Canadian National Soaring Championships, 1st at the SSA Region 8, and 3rd at the US Club Class Nationals.



With the opportunity to chat with other pilots sharing the same task, some of the benefits otherwise only available through dual flying mentoring flights can be shared.



The bottom line is, using Condor as a task flying / XC soaring training tool can be powerful to help novice time building glider pilots become soaring pilots. Since this is also the goal of the Proving Grounds, we will be organizing flights to actively support pilots looking to become more adept at task flying through a Condor competition as we tour across America flying tasks at sites with Proving Grounds installations and Condor Scenery.



The critical items:
– Please register for the competition on Condor Club – Current Competition
– Task information will include a link to a Discord channel to share audio, the link will be provided to registered pilots
– Join the Discord channel up 15 or so minutes before the task start time for support with Condor, XCSoar, or Proving Grounds
– At the time of the task find the ‘Proving Grounds’ server from the Condor 2 server list



The tasks for the competition will always be the largest Proving Grounds task at a given soaring site, and you can find the task sheet for each club at soaringtasks.com, by searching for the club we’ll be flying at, or locating the blog post under “Resources”.



Useful Resources:
– How to get started with Condor
– How to set up your XCSoar device with Proving Grounds in America
– How to set up your XCSoar device with Proving Grounds in Canada
– Using XCSoar with Condor (I find that the IP address of my device changes, so if you can’t connect on a successive attempt confirm that the IP is the same, or update the command in 4) d)

After the flight:
When you’ve completed the flight, there are a few things to do to see how well you did:
1) Upon exiting the flight you’ll enter Condor’s ‘Debriefing’ area with the opportunity to “Analyze Flight” – click that
2) If you click “Save” toward the bottom left of the ‘Flight Analysis’ panel, you’ll be able to save your .ftr file, which you should do, then upload it to the competition on Condor Club (see the Current Competition link above)
3) If you click “IGC export” toward the left of the ‘Flight Analysis’ panel, you’ll be able to save your .igc file, which you should do. Attach the .igc file to an email and submit it for scoring to the Proving Grounds bot for the site we were flying at
4) You might also consider uploading the .igc file to skylinescondor.com for analysis and sharing



We hope you’ll join us, and that participating in this friendly competition will be informative on task flying, XCSoar configuration, using the Proving Grounds, competition strategy and keeping you excited for the sport of soaring!



If there isn’t a landscape for the area where you fly, request some local terrain – ensure it encompasses the Proving Grounds from the folks at Soaringtools.org.



All references to “Condor” refer to the most recent version of the software.

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Alberni Valley Soaring Association Proving Grounds https://soaringtasks.com/2022/04/11/alberni-valley-soaring-association-proving-grounds/ https://soaringtasks.com/2022/04/11/alberni-valley-soaring-association-proving-grounds/#respond Mon, 11 Apr 2022 23:22:54 +0000 https://soaringtasks.com/?p=1297 Mix of 1 club glider (PW-5) and 6 privately owned gliders flying from the Alberni Valley Regional Airport on beautiful Vancouver Island.

Alberni Valley Soaring Association Task Sheet (April 2022)

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Northwest Soaring Club Proving Grounds https://soaringtasks.com/2022/03/17/northwest-soaring-club-proving-grounds/ https://soaringtasks.com/2022/03/17/northwest-soaring-club-proving-grounds/#respond Fri, 18 Mar 2022 04:56:02 +0000 https://soaringtasks.com/?p=1278 Northwest Soaring Club is a small, inviting soaring club in Northwest Michigan.

We trace our roots back to the 1930s when nearby Frankfort was one of the premier gliding sites in the USA.

From May-Oct, we operate out of Wexford County Airport in Cadillac, Michigan in the heart of one of Michigan’s most beautiful travel destinations.

Northwest Soaring Club Task Sheet (April 2022)

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Connecticut Soaring Association Proving Grounds https://soaringtasks.com/2022/03/08/connecticut-soaring-association-proving-grounds/ https://soaringtasks.com/2022/03/08/connecticut-soaring-association-proving-grounds/#respond Tue, 08 Mar 2022 23:30:23 +0000 https://soaringtasks.com/?p=1269 Connecticut Soaring Association is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization dedicated to promoting the art of soaring and general aviation.

Since our beginnings, we’ve been driven by the same ideas as many nonprofit organizations: support, empowerment, progress, additionally, the love of flying.

Come visit us at Windham Airport (KIJD), or ctsoaring.org!

Connecticut Soaring Association Task Sheet (May 2022)

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Sky Soaring Proving Grounds https://soaringtasks.com/2021/12/23/sky-soaring-proving-grounds/ https://soaringtasks.com/2021/12/23/sky-soaring-proving-grounds/#respond Thu, 23 Dec 2021 18:24:07 +0000 https://soaringtasks.com/?p=1244 Sky Soaring is currently defined by approximately 75 members, many of whom are students and low-time pilots.

The club benefits from a handful of experienced cross country pilots to serve as mentors.

Sky Soaring Proving Grounds Task Sheet (January 2021)

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USA Proving Grounds Condor Contest Tour https://soaringtasks.com/2021/11/22/condor-contest-usa/ https://soaringtasks.com/2021/11/22/condor-contest-usa/#respond Tue, 23 Nov 2021 06:49:12 +0000 https://soaringtasks.com/?p=1231 SEE DETAILS ]]>

Join members of the Proving Grounds team on Sunday nights (8:30EST) for a friendly tour through various Proving Grounds installations across America organized through a Condor Club soaring competition.



December 1, 2022 map of SSA ‘clubs’ with Proving Grounds installations

The Condor soaring simulator is an incredible tool to help introduce XC soaring and task flying to pilots interested in flying tasks in real gliders. It’s an effective way to gain comfort with a flight computer – setup, task definition, and use in flight.



With the opportunity to chat with other pilots sharing the same task, some of the benefits otherwise only available through dual flying mentoring flights can be shared.



The bottom line is, using Condor as a task flying / XC soaring training tool can be powerful to help novice time building glider pilots become soaring pilots. Since this is also the goal of the Proving Grounds, we will be organizing flights to actively support pilots looking to become more adept at task flying through a Condor competition as we tour across America flying tasks at sites with Proving Grounds installations and Condor Scenery.



The critical items:
– Please register for the competition on Condor Club – Current Competition
– Task information will include a link to a Discord channel to share audio, the link will be provided to registered pilots
– Join the Discord channel up 15 or so minutes before the task start time for support with Condor, XCSoar, or Proving Grounds
– At the time of the task find the ‘Proving Grounds’ server from the Condor 2 server list



The tasks for the competition will always be the largest Proving Grounds task at a given soaring site, and you can find the task sheet for each club at soaringtasks.com, by searching for the club we’ll be flying at, or locating the blog post under “Resources”.



Useful Resources:
– How to get started with Condor
– How to set up your XCSoar device with Proving Grounds in America
– Using XCSoar with Condor
(I find that the IP address of my device changes, so if you can’t connect on a successive attempt confirm that the IP is the same, or update the command in 4) d)



After the flight:
When you’ve completed the flight, there are a few things to do to see how well you did:
1) Upon exiting the flight you’ll enter Condor’s ‘Debriefing’ area with the opportunity to “Analyze Flight” – click that
2) If you click “Save” toward the bottom left of the ‘Flight Analysis’ panel, you’ll be able to save your .ftr file, which you should do, then upload it to the competition on Condor Club (see the Current Competition link above)
3) If you click “IGC export” toward the left of the ‘Flight Analysis’ panel, you’ll be able to save your .igc file, which you should do. Attach the .igc file to an email and submit it for scoring to the Proving Grounds bot for the site we were flying at
4) You might also consider uploading the .igc file to skylinescondor.com for analysis and sharing



We hope you’ll join us, and that participating in this friendly competition will be informative on task flying, XCSoar configuration, using the Proving Grounds, competition strategy and keeping you excited for the sport of soaring!



If there isn’t a landscape for the area where you fly, request some local terrain – ensure it encompasses the Proving Grounds from the folks at Soaringtools.org.



All references to “Condor” refer to the most recent version of the software.

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Caesar Creek Soaring Club Proving Grounds https://soaringtasks.com/2021/11/02/caesar-creek-soaring-club-proving-grounds/ https://soaringtasks.com/2021/11/02/caesar-creek-soaring-club-proving-grounds/#respond Wed, 03 Nov 2021 05:47:26 +0000 https://soaringtasks.com/?p=1216 SEE DETAILS ]]> Caesar Creek Soaring Club (CCSC) is one of the largest clubs in the county and is located in South-Western Ohio. Our membership has remained around 200 members for the last 30+ years. The club hosts many events which include National and Regional competitions, an annual XC Camp, and Youth Camp.

The club is all volunteer and focuses on training which leads to flying in an XC-friendly environment. 

Our Fleet includes 3 towplanes along with 3 Schweitzer 2-33s for basic training and 4 fiberglass gliders for advanced and XC training. In addition, we support over thirty private gliders hangered in our facilities. We fly year-round on weekends and Wednesdays from our own 2800 foot grass strip (2OH9).

Caesar Creek Soaring Club Proving Grounds Task Sheet (Updated Aug 2022)

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Piako Gliding Club Proving Grounds https://soaringtasks.com/2021/09/14/piako-gliding-club-proving-grounds/ https://soaringtasks.com/2021/09/14/piako-gliding-club-proving-grounds/#respond Wed, 15 Sep 2021 03:02:26 +0000 https://soaringtasks.com/?p=1196

Piako Gliding Club Task Sheet (October 2021)

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2020 – 21 Condor Contest – Proving Grounds (Canada) https://soaringtasks.com/2021/01/24/condor-contest-proving-grounds/ https://soaringtasks.com/2021/01/24/condor-contest-proving-grounds/#respond Sun, 24 Jan 2021 19:19:00 +0000 https://soaringtasks.com/?p=1011 SEE DETAILS ]]> Contest Concluded – Thank you to everyone who participated!

Join members of the Proving Grounds team on Sunday nights (9EST) for a friendly tour through various Proving Grounds installations organized through a Condor Club soaring competition.



The Condor soaring simulator is an incredible tool to help introduce XC soaring and task flying to pilots interested in flying tasks in real gliders. It’s an effective way to gain comfort with a flight computer – setup, task definition, and use in flight.



With the opportunity to chat with other pilots sharing the same task, some of the benefits otherwise only available through dual flying mentoring flights can be shared.



The bottom line is, using Condor as a task flying / XC soaring training tool can be powerful to help novice time building glider pilots become soaring pilots. Since this is also the goal of the Proving Grounds, we will be organizing flights to actively support pilots looking to become more adept at task flying through a Condor competition as we tour around the globe flying tasks at sites with Proving Grounds installations and Condor Scenery.



The critical items:
– Please register for the competition on Condor Club – Current Competition
– Task information will include a link to a Discord channel to share audio, the link will be provided to registered pilots
– Join the Discord channel up 15 or so minutes before the task start time for support with Condor, XCSoar, or Proving Grounds
– At the time of the task find the ‘Proving Grounds’ server from the Condor 2 server list



The tasks for the competition will always be a Proving Grounds task, and you can find the task sheet for each club at soaringtasks.com, by searching for the club we’ll be flying at, or locating the blog post under “Resources”.



Useful Resources:
– How to get started with Condor
– How to set up your XCSoar device with Proving Grounds in Canada
– Using XCSoar with Condor
(I find that the IP address of my device changes, so if you can’t connect on a successive attempt confirm that the IP is the same, or update the command in 4) d)



After the flight:
When you’ve completed the flight, there are a few things to do to see how well you did:
1) Upon exiting the flight you’ll enter Condor’s ‘Debriefing’ area with the opportunity to “Analyze Flight” – click that
2) If you click “Save” toward the bottom left of the ‘Flight Analysis’ panel, you’ll be able to save your .ftr file, which you should do, then upload it to the competition on Condor Club (see the Current Competition link above)
3) If you click “IGC export” toward the left of the ‘Flight Analysis’ panel, you’ll be able to save your .igc file, which you should do. Attach the .igc file to an email and submit it for scoring to the Proving Grounds bot for the site we were flying at
4) You might also consider uploading the .igc file to skylinescondor.com for analysis and sharing



We hope you’ll join us, and that participating in this friendly competition will be informative on task flying, XCSoar configuration, using the Proving Grounds, competition strategy and keeping you excited for the sport of soaring!



If there isn’t a landscape for the area where you fly, request some local terrain – ensure it encompasses the Proving Grounds from the folks at Soaringtools.org.



All references to “Condor” refer to the most recent version of the software.

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Refugio Soaring Circle https://soaringtasks.com/2021/01/11/refugio-soaring-circle/ https://soaringtasks.com/2021/01/11/refugio-soaring-circle/#respond Tue, 12 Jan 2021 06:53:53 +0000 https://soaringtasks.com/?p=990 SEE DETAILS ]]> The Refugio Soaring Circle is based at Rooke Field, Refugio, TX.



The Club is a nonprofit and the CFIG’s as well as the Tow Pilots are all volunteers.



Club aircraft include a 2-33, a 1-34, and an IS28B2 Lark. We tow with a Super Cub.



Our Club has a history of cross country flying with members holding Texas State Records. We are excited to use the Proving Grounds to revive these XC soaring roots and develop these skills among member pilots.



Everyone interested in Soaring is welcome at Refugio Soaring!



Refugio Soaring Circle Task Sheet (January 2020)

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