2023 USHPA AWARDS

MAKE YOUR NOMINATION AT: ushpa.org/page/award-nomination-form NOMINATIONS ARE DUE OCTOBER 1.

PRESIDENTIAL CITATION - USHPA's highest award.

ROB KELLS MEMORIAL AWARD - Recognizes a pilot, group, chapter or other entity that has provided continuous service, over a period of 15 years or more.

USHPA EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE AWARD - Outstanding service to the association by any member or non-member.

NAA SAFETY AWARD - The NAA presents this award to an individual, recommended by USHPA, who has promoted safety.

FAI HANG GLIDING DIPLOMA - For outstanding contribution by initiative, work, or leadership in flight achievement.

FAI PEPE LOPES MEDAL - For outstanding contributions to sportsmanship or international understanding.

CHAPTER OF THE YEAR - For conducting successful programs that reflect positively upon the chapter and the sport.

NEWSLETTER/WEBSITE OF THE YEAR (print or web-based).

INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD - Nominations should include letters of support from three students and the local Regional Director. One award per sport per year may be given.

RECOGNITION FOR SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION - For volunteer work by non-members and organizations.

COMMENDATIONS - For USHPA members who have contributed to hang gliding and/or paragliding on a volunteer basis.

BETTINA GRAY AWARD - For the photographer whose work (three examples needed for review) is judged best by the committee in aesthetics, originality, and a positive portrayal.

BEST PROMOTIONAL FILM - For the videographer whose work is judged best by the committee in consideration of aesthetics, originality, and a positive portrayal.

Valley Wind: An Example from the Owens Valley

: When flying in the mountains, it is important to be aware of what is happening in the valleys, as our primary landing zones are often located in the valley. Several hours can pass from the time that a pilot leaves the valley to head up to launch and the actual time that the pilot gets airborne. On a vol-biv, or sky-camping flight, the pilot might not set foot in a valley for days. As such, it is important for a soaring pilot to have a solid understanding of how valley winds develop in order to avoid flying into a dangerous spot.

This photo was taken around noon at cloudbase in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California in early April. Cloudbase was approximately 4,500 m. The view is looking south with the 3,000 m deep Owens Valley visible on the left-hand side. The snow-free Inyo Mountains are visible on the far left. There are many smaller steep valleys that enter the Sierra Nevada. These are perpendicular to Owens Valley, and they run east to west. Even on high pressure, synoptically benign days, the Owens Valley can develop strong southerly valley winds. This is especially true in the spring and summer months. The yearly rainfall totals average less than 18 cm which explains why in early April the valley floor, the Inyo Mountains, and the lower slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains are free of snow. Many peaks in this photo reach over 4,000 m above sea level. Owens Valley, being in the lee of such a tall mountain range, often receives a lot of sun, and the ground is usually dry and covered by sparse brush. Not much of the sun’s energy goes into evaporating water; therefore air can warm up quickly over such a hot and dry surface.

With the same amount of sunlight and with a similar type of surface, air in a valley will heat faster than air above the same area out in the plains. This differential heating is due to the Topographic Amplification Factor also known as the Valley Volume Effect. What this means, in essence, is that all the mountains that are present take up room that would be occupied by air out over the flats. Therefore, in a mountainous region, it is easier to warm the air mass up to a given level. As air warms, it expands. Over areas where it warms faster, it expands more. This causes an outflow at the higher levels. This outflow is generally light and often masked by any synoptic wind that is present. The outflow does, however, drop the pressure at the surface. The greatest pressure drop occurs at the lowest surface, in this case, the valley floor. We now have a pressure gradient between the valley floor and the same altitude out in the flats. This drop in pressure might only be a few millibars but it is enough to generate significantly strong valley winds.

If you are unable to get up and stay up all afternoon, then it is very important to know your landing zone or to have some way of getting a valley wind report.

By the nature of the mechanism described, the valley winds will be strongest in the lowest levels. Higher up on the mountainsides, the valley winds can be very light. The lulls between thermals can be very pronounced. It is not uncommon for valley winds to start picking up by 11 a.m. and getting quite strong by 2 p.m. If you are unable to get up and stay up all afternoon, then it is very important to know your landing zone or to have some way of getting a valley wind report.

It is important to realize that, despite having nice thermal cycles of reasonable strength and duration on launch, thermals lower down on the mountain might already be getting badly shredded by the strengthening valley wind. It is very important to keep this in mind if you chose to fly and want to stay up.

If you start sinking down into the main valley wind, it becomes important to find a steep side valley that is perpendicular to the flow of the main valley. If the geometry is correct and the valley wind is strong enough, you can ridge soar until a strong enough thermal comes through to allow you to get back up to crest level or higher. It should be noted that this can be considered an advanced maneuver since it usually puts you close to terrain in midday windy and thermic conditions. You should have the adequate skillset to execute this safely.

Up at cloudbase, in this photo, the wind is from the right. Since we are looking south, the wind at altitude is from the west, increasing slightly with height. In the upper right-hand corner, we see a curling of the cumulus cloud. This can be a sign that the cloud is rising into progressively stronger wind, or it could be due to the natural shearing on its periphery. If the cloud shadows on the ground indicate significant movement, then the cloud is probably rising into ever stronger wind.

With light westerlies, it should not be too hard to fly south along the range. However, enough altitude must be gained to cross each of the peripheral valleys with enough height. Lower down their north faces become lee to the southerly valley wind. If the goal is an out and return, then it is best to fly south early when the valley wind is lighter and back north later when it is stronger. On the way back, if you get low, you have a tailwind, and it is easier to run to an upwind face to get back up.

Owens Valley has a world-renowned reputation for being a very powerful place to fly. Overpowering, might be a more appropriate term on many days, especially in the late spring and summer. Your skill and mountain flying experience should dictate what time of year you chose to fly the Owens!