Wave Camp 2026 Highlights
We had a very successful wave camp that included 2 excellent wave-soaring days, a couple of thermal-soaring days, many useful lectures, and lots of socializing.
Our club president, Jim Lee, organized the camp and served as camp director. Our office manager, Stacy Hughes, provided on-site support. Marju Rossi organized dinners on the first and last nights and set up daily coffee and water service. Stacy brought in donuts every day, and Bruce Campbell brought in breakfast sandwiches one morning. Gordon and Melissa Boettger hosted a dinner party at their house off Jacks Valley Road. The camp was hosted at Steve Sliwa’s hangar.
Jim questioned the group at the end to find out if everyone got their money’s worth. Most thought they would pay a lot more for 8 days of intensive soaring activity.
Here is a brief summary of key statistics:
- 28 Attendees
- 10 Wave Flights on Saturday (the first day)
- 20 Wave Flights on Wednesday
- 7121 kilometers flown in Wave
- 250+ photos taken and shared
- 1 World Speed Record Run (500km O&R Speed Record – 13.5m class)
- 12 speakers
- 21 lectures
- 40 tows
- 4 dinners/parties (2 kegs of P7 Beer)
Here was the schedule of events:
Schedule of Events
| Time | Event | Speaker / Location |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 – Friday, April 10 (Prelude) | ||
| 4:00 PM | Weather Briefing and Wave Intro | Jim Payne |
| Glider Perspectives – Tow – First Climb | Jim Lee | |
| Day 2 – Saturday, April 11 | ||
| 8:00 AM | Weather and Plan for the Day | Jim Lee |
| 9:00 AM | Wave Flights | |
| Lunch | ||
| 1:00 PM | Flying | |
| 6:30 PM | Welcome Dinner | Sliwa Hangar |
| Day 3 – Sunday, April 12 | ||
| 8:00 AM | Weather Briefing | Kempton Izuno |
| 9:00 AM | OLC and WeGlide Wave Points Flying | Jim Payne |
| Saturday Flight Description | Gordon Boettger & Kempton Izuno | |
| Why Does the Gap Close and What to Do | Keith Essex | |
| Wave Speed to Fly and LX9000 | Jim Payne | |
| 5:00 PM | Boettger Dinner Party | 3396 Bernese Ct, Carson City |
| Day 4 – Monday, April 13 | ||
| 9:00 AM | Weather Briefing | Jim Lee |
| Tow Pilot Perspectives | Dan Flynn | |
| Oxygen Use and Physiology | Elizabeth Tattersall | |
| Meet the Reaper | Gordon Boettger | |
| Lunch | ||
| 1:30 PM | Wave Speed to Fly / Advanced Concepts | Jim Payne |
| Yesterday’s Phoenix Flight | Luisa Romero & Kempton Izuno | |
| Flying | ||
| Day 5 – Tuesday, April 14 | ||
| 9:00 AM | Weather Briefing | Kempton Izuno |
| 9:05 AM | Wave Flying Anywhere | Kempton Izuno |
| Glider Upsets / Hydraulic Jump | Tim Gardner | |
| Lunch | ||
| 1:00 PM | Icing, Attitude Indicator, Loss of Air Data | Gordon Boettger |
| Flying | ||
| Day 6 – Wednesday, April 15 | ||
| 9:00 AM | Weather Briefing | Kempton Izuno |
| Flying Ops Plan for the Day | Jim Lee | |
| Wave Flying | ||
| Day 7 – Thursday, April 16 | ||
| 9:00 AM | Weather Briefing | |
| Yesterday’s Flight Debriefs | Everyone | |
| SSA Badges | Alan Murray | |
| The Ups and Downs of Wave Flying | Devin Bargainnier | |
| Lunch | ||
| 1:00 PM | Building Tasks on SkySight | Brad Jackson |
| Flying | ||
| 6:00 PM | Sports Aviation Foundation Dinner | Minden Civic Center |
| Day 8 – Friday, April 17 | ||
| 9:00 AM | Weather Briefing | Stephen Wertheimer |
| Bail Out Procedures | Tim Gardner | |
| 3000K in Wave | Bruce Campbell | |
| Lunch | ||
| 1:00 PM | Wave in the SE USA | Michael Price |
| Wave in South America | Jim Payne | |
| Perlan Glider Tour | Jim Payne | |
| Day 9 – Saturday, April 18 | ||
| 9:00 AM | Weather Briefing | Jim Lee |
| Building a Clear Panel / Wave Pitfalls | Jim Lee | |
| Minden to Dodge City | Gordon Boettger | |
| 1:00 PM | Flying | |
| 6:00 PM | Dinner Party and Conclusion | Sliwa Hangar |
Here is table showing some of the notable flights reported on WeGlide:
Sampling of Notable Wave Camp Flights
| Date | Pilot(s) | Sailplane | Distance | Speed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26-04-18 | Jim Payne/Emiliano Kaptain | Arcus M | 244 km | 86 km/hr | View |
| 26-04-15 | Gordon Boettger/Jonathan Audy | Arcus J | 440 km | 171 km/hr | View |
| 26-04-11 | Gordon Boettger/Kempton Izuno | Arcus J | 1,143 km | 170 km/hr | View |
| 26-04-15 | Steven Wertheimer | AS 33 18m | 588 km | 174 km/hr | View |
| 26-04-15 | Magnus Skoglund | Ventus bT 15m | 267 km | 188 km/hr | View |
| 26-04-15 | Patrick Grady | mini LAK-FES | 870 km | 128 km/hr | View |
| 26-04-15 | Kempton Izuno/Luisa Romero | Phoenix | 180 km | 110 km/hr | View |
| 26-04-15 | Jim Payne/Chris Heiserman | Arcus M | 440 km | 214 km/hr | View |
| 26-04-15 | Brian Neff/Shawn Bickford | ASG 32 Mi | 178 km | 183 km/hr | View |
Feedback from Attendees
Here are a few excerpts from the roundtable discussion on the video below:
- “A true bucket-list experience — absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend it.”
- “The quality of instruction was off the charts — some of the most experienced wave pilots anywhere.”
- “Without the camp, I might have had a decent flight… with it, I flew my fastest and best ever.”
- “The operations at Minden are exceptional — they run a tight ship and get you launched when it matters.”
- “One day delivered an 800 km flight at over 170 knots average — just an insanely good day.”
- “Wave flying like this is addictive — I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
- “SkySight was amazingly accurate — you could plan big tasks with real confidence.”
- “The difference between beginners and pros is obvious — the best pilots fly laser-straight through the wave.”
- “This was my second wave flight ever… and I set a national record attempt. That’s what this environment enables.”
- “Every flight teaches you something — you’re constantly optimizing and improving.”
- “The combination of world-class instruction, strong wave, and great infrastructure makes Minden one of the best places on earth to learn wave flying.”
- “If you want to push your limits in wave — faster, farther, and smarter — this is where you do it.”
Here is a YouTube video of a roundtable discussion the week after the 2026 Minden Wave Camp:
Sample Images Viewer
Here is a slide viewer of some of the pictures from the event. Click an image to zoom in to the viewer. For more pictures visit the album at this location <link>.
