SURVEY BS-COMMENTS

11 =========== ---------- *AT* Bay Area, CA
I only use the B/S on some of the BLIP spot reports.

38 =========== ---------- *AT* Ascutney VT
Very useful to avoid flying on days when thermals are too blown apart to be useful.

52 =========== Bill Brown *AT* Byron, CA
I find B/S to be one of the most important metrics, esp at TRK. If the B/S is in single digits, I don't bother.

61 =========== Ernst W. Schneider *AT* Invermere, BC
here we call it the BULLSHIT factor as the lower it is the more the thermals bullshit us ;-) I personally use this also as a measure on how long I may be able to concentrate while flying. A high BS makes for easy flying and a 8 h flight is no problem. A low BS makes it more difficult to stay sharp all day as you have to work harder to stay up and it is easier to get dumped in betwwen thermals or if you can't find the thermal right away or if it is bend around 15 corners. The BS is one of my most important information with your forecasts.

62 =========== ---------- *AT* Fremont, CA
Good predictor in the spring, when wind speeds can vary with weather systems

85 =========== ---------- *AT* Mission Ridge, CA
used to tell thermal conditions

88 =========== ---------- *AT* California City
not very useful in my area due to extreme variations in terrain elevations.

98 =========== Mark Stump *AT* Magazine Mtn, AR
Seems to still be decent/workable thermals with 3-5 bs ratio.

107 =========== ---------- *AT* Ames, IA
Once convection gets going it often can overcome predicted shear values

117 =========== ---------- *AT* Salida, CO
Limited data set, but accurate when I've used it.

145 =========== ---------- *AT* Avenal, CA
This is EXTREMELY valuable. When below 5, I can't ever get reliable lift.

166 =========== James Gaar *AT* Ottawa, KS
not tested

179 =========== ---------- *AT* Ellenville, NY near Wurtsboro, NY
I always look at this on breezy days. It seems useful.

197 =========== ---------- *AT* Davenport, FL
The second most useful chart

210 =========== ---------- *AT* Warner Springs, CA (CL35)
used for go / no go when W* is marginal (to me).

221 =========== Bill Whelan *AT* FDK MD
Seems to be reasonably useful. Still trying to get a good calibration hack on it for thresholding. For instance I've found some B/S=3 days workable but generally they will be more difficult than B/S of say 8.

231 =========== ---------- *AT* Sterling, MA
Our strongest days are often the windiest with shredded lift. Then the BSR is way low or high, it's a good guide. In the middle of the range (~5) it's chancy.

246 =========== ---------- *AT* Alexandria I99
Very good and accurate

261 =========== ---------- *AT* Truckee/Minden
More often than not this one predictor has proven quite accurate.

267 =========== Kurt Wimberg *AT* Arco ID. Moore ID, Jackson Wy.
I understand the concept but can't relate it in the air

269 =========== Paul Summerskill *AT* St. Catharines, Ontario
Buoyance/Shear Ratio was studied without finding a relationship to raptor counts during migration.

276 =========== Doug Levy *AT* Warner Springs, Ca
I don't use this often

291 =========== ---------- *AT* Hemet Ryan/Hemet Ca.
Only used if significant winds are expected. Not used often.

293 =========== Bob Gibbons *AT* Caddo Mills, TX
Useful for judging the impact of wind speed and shear on usablility of thermals

303 =========== Bill Ricker *AT*
Again mission predictions are a little to optimistic.

306 =========== ---------- *AT* Mission Peak -- Fremont, CA
This is the single best number on BLIPSPOTs/BLIPMAPS. When I see B/S = 10, I'm like yeeeeeehaww lets go. Your recommended threshold of 5-6 for thermals starting to get ripped apart has proven to be a good rule of thumb for Hanggliding.

307 =========== ---------- *AT* Elko, BC
I look at this if there is a chance wind will break up thermals making them difficult to use.

371 =========== ---------- *AT* Ephrata, WA
This comment goes for many of these categories. I will look at each area just about every time. I often have to read the discription to make sure that I have some understanding of what I am looking at. I have not sat down and studied to get the max understanding yet. Something I plan on doing.

378 =========== ---------- *AT* Ellenville NY
I like this one a lot.

390 =========== Larry Roberts *AT* Crazy Creek, Middletown, CA
You really need a Used, but not understood catagory, as I do use input from other pilots.

397 =========== Dan Shoemaker *AT* Caddo Mills, TX
Boundary layer winds tend to be underestimated sometimes so shear is actually stronger.

410 =========== John Watkins *AT* Springfield, VT KVSF
Another category under usage on this one might be: Not Understood Completely But Used Anyway With Somewhat Useful Results

441 =========== ---------- *AT* La Grange, GA
I learnt my lesson on this one. Forgot to look one day and the day turned out worthless despite the other parameters looking good. To some degree it would be nice if the other parameters (hcrit, updraft strength) would also account for wind.

468 =========== ---------- *AT* Austin, TX
Really good stat!

477 =========== ---------- *AT* Ridgely, MD
seems that B/S as low as 3 is managable on the flat Eastern Shore.

486 =========== Martin Hellman *AT* Hayward, CA
I don't usually look at this parameter, unless the wind speed (next item) is over 10 or 15 kts. If wind speed is below 10 kts, the B/S ratio is usually not an issue.

488 =========== ---------- *AT* Invermere, BC
mountains with variable valley widths and/or towering cu certainly impact this factor; at first I thought this to mean a single horizontal shear layer making some difficulty in soaring, after discussion with other users now I will compare wind at various elevations and try to match the B/S ratio prediction to actuals

489 =========== ---------- *AT* Mountain Valley Airport, Tehachapi, CA
Use to qualitatively see if thermals may get blown out, and by what time of day, to help decide when to turn for home

517 =========== Mike Parker *AT* El Tiro Gliderport Tucson, AZ
Only looked at this if I was worried about a very windy day.