Category: FAQ

Radio Etiquette

8/5/2024

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Updated Radio Etiquette slide from 5-2023 talk and prior XC talks is a good reminder for Site Flying and XC pilots:

Site and XC Flying Radio Use 101
- The Basics -

General Radio Use Guidelines:

If site flying: Use low power settings
Keep it short and to the point with useful information: Think about what you want to say, then then broadcast your useful information.
Realize that your broadcast was probably heard, but other pilots were probably busy thermalling or your broadcast did not warrant a response.
If you hear a transmission, and you are at altitude or on the ground and it is convenient for you to do so: it is helpful and reaffirming to repeat a message. This helps to relay transmissions acting as a repeater for transmissions that may not have line of sight. i.e. if a driver or transmitter is in a canyon or out of transmission range on the ground.
Once you have landed, keep your radio on and nearby until all pilots are and vehicles are retrieved and accounted for.

General What Not to Do:

Do not Chat it up: Realize that if you are chatting it up waxing poetically your excitement to be flying, you may be blocking other critical transmissions up to 50 miles away or distracting those trying to focus on their varios in maybe a critical location.
Do not use up airwave time by asking for someone by name only or broadcasting non information such as "can you hear me" with no other content.

What to and When to Transmit:
Keep radio transitions short and useful to the point info:

Who: “This is “Pilot Name”
What: Who, what, where, other (conditions . . . that would be useful to others in route or in fight)
When: On transitions, getting low, back up, gaggle flying decision points, relaying/ rebroadcasting info from pilots that are low or that have landed out and may not have line of sight signal strength.
Where/ Location: “Location & Altitude” Learn and use common way-point names, and roads. Note that multiple Sites can here the transmissions and is good to know what LZ or launch you are reporting conditions for.
WX & Other : (conditions . . . that would be useful to others in route) (short Gaggle coordination)

Examples of good radio transitions:

“This is Pilot Y Landed Safe in Palomar LZ, LZ is active and winds SW @ 5-12.
“This is “Pilot X”, 9K at Granite, Going on glide to Vulcan, Winds SE @ 10” “Pilot Z What's your 20”
“This is “Pilot Z”, Low, 1K over Earthquake Valley, may be landing, Winds East @ 10”
“This is “Pilot Z”, Back in game, Thermaling 7K over Scissors Crossing, Winds SE @ 2 in convergence line”
“This is “Pilot Y”, Setting up to land in Wash, Winds SE @ 10”
“This is “Pilot Y”, Landed Safe in Wash, Winds SE @ 5”
“This is “Pilot X”, 10K over Banner in convergence line, on glide to Vulcan; “Pilot Y Landed Safe in Wash, Wash winds SE @ 5 will need retrieve”

Slide for Printing:

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Santa Ana Winds and Flight

12/20/2020

6 Comments

This article has been a long time coming and is a collection of posts and input from multiple respected pilots in our area.

As pilots, we should not underestimate warnings about Santa Ana (devil/ satin) wind.

Santa Ana winds can be violently unpredictable. However, "mild" SA conditions can give sites like Elsinore lovely ridge lift in the late afternoon & evenings. But how does one know if it is a mild event?

Look at the gust factors at the site AND surrounding stations 10-15 miles away.
If the gust factor is 2-3X the base wind, it will not be good, even if the base is light. https://www.sdhgpa.com/weather-stations.html
Are there opposing wind factors? (those need to be added) A West wind @ 5 meeting an East @ 5 = a wind factor of 10)
Remember, predicted winds and models do not consider micro environmental factors
Are the gust factors and predicted gust factors within USHPA recommended flight parameters for your rating?
Get it wrong and there can be dire consequences. This is one reason that we closed Fuzz.

Simply, Flying Elsinore 500' off the deck parked in even mellow gusty conditions is really not all that fun with a high pucker factor.

Another way to put it: If local hot pilot Chris Cote is not flying due to SA conditions, you should think twice about launching on an SA day. Chris routinely flies bronco air and still doesn't like SA conditions.

SoCal Santa Anas are similar to Bay area and Central Cal "Diablo" wind patterns caused by descending cold air in the Great Basin.

The Devil Wind: A Brief History of the Santa Anas The Devil Wind: A Brief History of the Santa Anas

Southern California usually sits in a delicate climatic balance. On one side, the chilly waters of the Pacific, transported from Alaska via the California Current, stabilize air temperatures and provide a ready source of moisture. On the other, a palisade of mountains blocks the extremes of the desert from coastal communities.

The Santa Anas upset that balance, ushering in hot, dry, desert-like conditions. But while the Santa Anas are often called desert winds, the term is misleading; the winds are not simply blowing desert air over Southern California's coastal plain. Instead, Santa Anas result from a cool, dry air mass that hovers over the continental interior of the American West. When that air descends from the higher-elevation basins to sea level, it warms and becomes even drier.

KCET Lost LA episode
The Devil Wind: A Brief History of the Santa Anas

Also great Article along with the above show: https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/a-brief-history-of-the-santa-ana-winds

David M:

Flying SA conditions is always rolling dice. If you like that sort of thing, go for it - but if you have kids, a spouse, a pet, anything that depends on your continued productivity, remember that you're rolling dice for them, too.

Chris Cote:

I consider Santa Ana as advanced pilot conditions. They can change in strength quickly which can move the convergence line quickly to the west.

Have a look at the site you are choosing to fly and imagine the wind flow reversed. Where's the rotor now? What landing options? Any new dangers?

It can be done and can work very well at times, but it's for advanced pilots, not new pilots hungry to fly.

A post from winter, 2018: For any visiting pilots, the NE winds we've been experiencing will continue today, but should ease a bit in the afternoon. This is not a typical Santa Ana where the air is warm, it's very cold. This allows it to gather speed as it descends towards the coast and push under the ocean air-mass.

The foothills is where it's the strongest.

On a typical hot SA day it's possible to get a flight on the convergence line(usually the ocean side). I've never personally flown this type of condition.

Today is probably a good day to do some site seeing as the viability is quite good.

Steve Rohrbaugh:

As a general guide line, we don't fly our east facing Sites in Santa Ana conditions unless tail end or very mild events. For 80% of Santa Ana condition events, it is likely not a good idea to fly and better to find an alternative activity.

We fly our East facing Sites in katabatic conditions and early day thermal activity with the days switching to convergence flying. Think of and use the East Facing Sites as light wind pure thermal Sites vs windy ridge lift sites.

Horse & Fuzz Site Guide on SA conditions: Sub Site Fuzz Launch: (Closed)

Fuzz was a rarely used historical launch on the southwest side of the valley (across from the primary Horse Canyon launch site).

Due to the conditions is works in (east winds), it is extremely dangerous and should be considered closed. Fuzz should not be flown in easterly Santa Ana wind conditions. Santa Ana winds and lift tend to be highly unpredictable and often violent.

On Convergence days, it is better to wait for the convergence winds to go to 0 or slightly blowing in on the Horse side of the canyon, then cross the valley with altitude if flying over Fuzz is desired.

Launch at Fuzz is 1/3 height of Horse altitude and ground clearance, as well as being small and unimproved which lead to additional problems.

Most advanced pilots find the risk to reward ratio not worth the effort to launch Fuzz.

Fuzz is closed and use is highly discouraged.

What makes the Santa Ana winds blow through Southern California?
Summary Recap of WX Article from the LA Times: (worth reading the fill LA Times Article)

Cold Great Basin high pressure airmass flows through the mountains toward low pressure on the coast.
As the air sinks, it is compressed and warms.
The air heats up and dries out as it flows down slope over the mountains multiple times.
Mountain ranges block the air in places as it heads toward the sea. The winds seek openings such as passes and canyons, which accelerate the velocity, creating a venturi effect much like a nozzle on a garden hose.
Winds can gust from 45 to 100 mph as they squeeze through passes and canyons

Gusts become more and more unpredictably sporadic and turbulent as the winds get chopped up over and through each mountain leeside, pass and canyon.

Good Articles on Santa Ana weather conditions:

6 Comments

SDHGPA - Announcements Telegram Channel

1/31/2019

1 Comment

** New for 2019 **

Follow the SDHGPA - Announcements Telegram Channel for updates and information broadcasts: New News Articles, Fly-ins, Meetings, TFRs and other important updates and reminders from SDHGPA.

1st Join Telegram
2nd Follow SDHGPA - Announcements Telegram Channel

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SDHGPA XC contest 2019

1/18/2019

0 Comments

The SDHGPA 2018-2019 Season XC Contest pages have been set up for the year and ready to list & score flights for the season.

Looks like Brad is in the current leader position for this year, but hold onto your seat boards as we are just two months in and the prime season is yet to begin.

You don't need to be a contest leader to join in on the fun. The Shirt Awards are for individual achievements and . . . it is never too late to join in!

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SDHGPA Telegram Flight Planning Group

1/14/2019

2 Comments

Join the New SDHGPA Telegram Flight Planning Group to find out who is flying where.

There are a few different ways and Apps you can use to interface with the SDHGPA Telegram group. Each App & Interface has slightly different features. Try a few different ones to see what you like. See the Telegram page for Apps & interfaces.

The Telegram chat group is posted to the Who's Flying Where page page under "What's Happening" for ease of access when a Telegram app is not available and to allow Visiting pilots visibility to information prior to joining. The Group is also embedded on the What's Happening page.

The SDHGPA Telegram group is limited to Annual Members & Visiting Temporary Member Pilots or past member Pilots that had a membership starting in 2019 forward.

To join the Telegram Group, There is a group invite link on the Members Only main info page.

First Install & Join Telegram
Then Join the SDHGPA Group

Invite links are also now provided with the Membership Card / Parking pass email that is sent after completing and submitting the SDHGPA Membership Application & Waiver. This is how Visiting pilots may join the group.

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Radio Etiquette

Santa Ana Winds and Flight

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SDHGPA XC contest 2019

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