Looking for the best scale aerotow and slope sites in WA, OR, ID, MT, WY, CO or UT

[tommyt]

My wife and I are starting to look for some property in the Pacific NW to Rockies area to retire to. Somewhere in WA, OR, ID, MT, WY, CO or UT.

I am looking for an area that has an active large scale aerotowing and slope soaring club. I would also prefer to be near a very nice club that also flies large and giant scale prop and turbine planes.

Any advice on clubs and locations that meet this criteria would really be appreciated.

Thanks

[DennisB]

Washington State has more regular aerotow than the others you listed combined.

[Mosquito]

Dang, and I was just there.

[LRFitch]

Tommy, I live in southeastern WA state and attend several aerotows each season. I live in whats called the "Tricities" which are made up of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland. We are located at the joining of the Snake and Columbia rivers in a desert area with about 8" of rain a year, and about 500' elevation. There are a couple power clubs, and a soaring club in the area. Let me know if you need additional info on the several parts of Washington state. I love it here.

Larry Fitch

[sheephunter]

I live in western CO; there are a few of us who slope soar here and there are some tremendous slope lift sites, but the problem is our landing zones. Rocky Mountains are called "Rocky" for a reason. About the only thing we fly on most of the slopes are foam airplanes that can withstand the rough LZ's. Some "other than foam" airplanes are occasionally flown but the risk of damage on landing is high. I've done some aerotowing at my local RC club field, and anyone who is there likes watching, but I have a heckuva time finding someone to fly either my towplane or sailplane. If the right guys aren't at the airfield it doesn't happen.

[BryanB]

I grew up in central Washington (East Wenatchee) where the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers meet and that's where I first started soaring and sloping as a teenager. I was also a member of the Apple Valley Flyers which has a nice airfield and club now. It was just an oiled dirt strip when I was there but has really come a long way since. The nice thing about central Washington is you can drive just about anywhere in the state within about two hours. I'm pretty sure they have a regular aero tow around Moses Lake or Yakima.
It's a beautiful state but the bad part about Washington is it's really expensive and the state is out of control with regulations now. If I where to move back to the northwest I'd look strongly at Idaho or western Montana.