20 Soaring • August 2019 • http://www.ssa.org
O
ne measure of a soaring pilot is their number of soar-
ing records. Soaring legends with multiple national
and world records walk among us at every SSA contest or
meet. Record pilots, some having achieved flights that may
never be surpassed, inspire us and provide a roadmap for
new soaring achievement (see insets).
And what are soaring records but a distillation of epic
days in the cockpit, when everything comes together pro-
ducing the perfect flight? Seeking records is the pursuit of
truly amazing soaring days. What pilot doesn’t want more
of that?
That’s why the SSA manages state records for various
glider FAI-rule task types per FAI rules. The state record
database is a treasure trove of great soaring stories. But
some states have more impressive records than others, and
some have almost no records at all in any glider class, pre-
senting many legitimate state record opportunities to the
enterprising SSA member.
SSA state records are awarded in General, Feminine, and
Youth divisions across four categories: Distance, Out/Re-
turn Speed, Triangle Speed, and Altitude. Each of these
four categories is further subdivided by glider class and by
individual subcategories.
To encourage new record flights, this map shows 49
states’ records relative to U.S. national records as a “heat
map” of state soaring achievement (Figure 1) where larger
state records are represented by hot red. The chart is based
on General records, which are the most plentiful, but the
analysis applies equally to Feminine and Youth records.
States with weaker achievement relative to the U.S.
benchmark appear cool blue. The idea is to draw your eyes
to blue states where new records can most easily be flown,
since the records there (if any) are a small percentage of the
corresponding national record. The heat map shows a single
“achievement” value for each state, an obvious simplifica-
tion requiring further unpacking.Regional Analysis
Diving in, we break down the country into seven big
chunks providing additional commentary on the potential
record categories at the state level.This is a varied and rugged area with wild soaring po-
tential. Marine conditions prevail in the far west but tall
mountain ranges set up crosswinds to generate ridge and
wave lift, and expansive deserts and high plains provide
ample convection. Beware: airports are often far apart with
few outlanding options.Vulnerable State Soaring Records
David Hart
State Record heat map.Photo by David Hart.