SURVEY WSTAR-COMMENTS

This is a predictor for which relative predictions are particularly expected to be more useful than its absolute predictions - and what you will get depends upon whether you use the average or maximum updraft strength, an average over the climb, etc., as well as depending upon bank angle.  Of course, the glider sink rate should be subtracted from the predicted W* to get the predicted glider vario reading.  And of course this cannot predict updrafts from small-scale terrain features.

10 =========== James C. Garrison *AT* Front Royal, VA
Note above comment -- the BLIPMAP is a bit optimistic, but there is no button for optimistic. Basically - I use the info to try to decide is this a Super day Good day ar OK day. Then I fly to find out ....... :-)

15 =========== ---------- *AT* Ojai, CA
We've found that max velocity in the mountains tends to be twice what is shown in the BLIPs.

16 =========== Todd Herzog *AT* ADG (Adrian, MI)
Often right on

17 =========== ---------- *AT* TSA Midlothian, TX
In my personal experience I find the BLIPMAP forecasts be conservitive at times.

24 =========== Jonathan Gere *AT* Fairfield, PA
I hate subtracting 150 fpm (glider) and thinking "so that band is 250-350fpm"

29 =========== ---------- *AT* 2K0 Monticello, IL
the moving color of soarable lift makes it hard to pick flying days. For instance a Min lift day of 400fpm might be red

32 =========== ---------- *AT* Menomonie, WI
Often an overestimate on good days

34 =========== Dieter Jaeger *AT* La Grange, GA
The jump between "accurate enough" and "Useful but barely so" is too big. Nothing is ever accurate enough, but can still be very useful. I therefore interpret "accurate enough" as "accurate enough to be very useful", not meaning that more accuracy would not be needed or desirable.

36 =========== Tony Gaechter *AT* Truckee, CA
Higher resolution would help.

38 =========== Martin Hellman *AT* Hayward, CA
Given local "hot spots" and my roughly 150 fpm sink rate thermalling, I find the max predicted usually is close to my actual max climb rate on the averager.

39 =========== Tom Saunders *AT* Blairstown, NJ 1N7
Not always very accurate since we have ridge elevation in our area.

40 =========== ---------- *AT* Boulder, CO
Need finer resolution. Any possibility to zoom in on higher resolution information?

43 =========== John "bumper" Morgan *AT* Napa, CA and Minden, NV
When saying "accurate enough", I suppose there's always room for improvement. That said, Blipmaps are the best thing I've seen yet!

45 =========== Chris Ruf *AT* LaGrange, GA and Benton/Chattanooga, TN
Took me a long time to realize that the black lines on the maps were ground elevation contours. This sould be mentioned in the description - out west with big mountains it would have been more obvious than where i fly.
That has always been stated in the "Description" section.

53 =========== Terence Honikman *AT* Santa Barbara, CA
My first screen

56 =========== J Meier *AT* Mancos, CO
Orographics----who knows what you're gonna get

57 =========== ---------- *AT* Sterling, MA
I've found that there was a consistent tendency to under estimate theremal velocities.

59 =========== Frank Peel *AT* Fremont, CA
Most of my flying is over raised terrain which skews the usefulness of this parameter. It is a good indicator of the day's overall potential.

62 =========== Matt Gillis *AT* Hollister, CA; Truckee, CA
This is useful in that it compliments the other parameters, as much for location of the strongest lift as for the general magnitude.

71 =========== ---------- *AT* Manquin Flight Park, Manquin, VA
I have compared this derived quantity with a regression equation used to estimate lift for eastern US sailplanes and have found reasonable agreement. This is one of eight graphics I routinely use.

72 =========== Colin J Barry *AT* Boulder, CO
Because we have 14K peaks and 5K plains around here we get big local variations. This can make the color contoured maps tough to read.

73 =========== ---------- *AT* Bermuda High Soaring School, Lnacaster, SC
Often too conservative

74 =========== ---------- *AT* Warner Springs, CA
look here 2nd

79 =========== Jim Rooney *AT* Sacramento, PA
If I could get this data the night before it would rock.

99 =========== Jim Hays *AT* Airsailing, NV
I find this to be very accurate

102 =========== ---------- *AT* HDH (HI), TRK (CA), MEV (NV)
This figure minus sailplane sink is what I use to determine if I care to make the hours drive to the gliderport.

106 =========== ---------- *AT* hutchinson, KS
It is my opinion that it generally overestimates the average thermal climb rate. By about 20 to 40 percent

108 =========== ---------- *AT* LaGrange, GA
found to be very accurate

126 =========== Greg Arnold *AT* Santa Ynez, CA
Pertains to Santa Ynez, CA, where the BlipMap seems to generally overestimate the soaring conditions. This comment pertains to all the fields below.

134 =========== Tim Hanke *AT* Saratoga Springs, NY (Adirondack Soaring)
Found this not to be acurate enough in our area where we have valleys/ mountains. The lift is always better in the mountains.

135 =========== Harry Fox *AT* Hollister, CA ; Truckee, NV
I generally don't pay much attention to this -- the BL Height seems to give me a much better prediction of how strong the day will be.

140 =========== ---------- *AT* Chilliwack, BC, Canada
I find this useful, but as a paraglider pilot, micrometeorology takes precedence. This figure does, however, provide an excellent reference point, and an overall indicator of the strength of the day's thermals.

142 =========== Bob Semans *AT* Minden-Tahoe Airport, NV
Because of my brief experience with BLIPMAP use, I don't have a good sense of correlation between forecasts and flight experience. Somehow, I integrate all forecast sources to help me select a record course for the day and thereafter depend much more on what I find after I'm in the medium. I need to do more post-flight reflection to determine what forecast data is most helpful.

143 =========== Doug Gray *AT* Truckee, Hollister, CA and Air Sailing, NV
There can be large differences between Reno soaring forecast an BLIPMAPs.

153 =========== ---------- *AT* KLGU in UT
We have mountains and valley. The mesh size and Blipmaps don't handle this very well.

161 =========== Dale Kramer *AT* Harris Hill, NY
I have found that the number to represent a GOOD thermal for that time of day. There are better thermals around but this number represents the actual climb rate in a centered Good thermal.

164 =========== ---------- *AT* MEV Minden, NV
Only used once...

167 =========== Walter Rogers *AT* California City, CA
Based on w*. This is a solid way of estimating thermal strenth.

169 =========== Chris Cioffi *AT* Manquin Flight Park, Richmond, VA
Since this is an average over a large area it is of limited use to me since I generally just boat around at my home site. I expect it to become more useful this spring as I start going XC.