ssa 2012—long cross country flights in mountain wave
DESCRIPTION
Presentation by Jim Payne at the February, 2012 Soaring Society of America (SSA) convention in Reno, Nevada. Jim explains the hazards of mountain wave flying, equipment required, and how to adequately prepare and plan long cross country flights in mountain wave conditions, specifically in the Sierras. He describes and illustrates some of his record flights in the Sierras.TRANSCRIPT
Soaring Long XC in Wave
• Weather
• Safety
• Planning
• OLC Rules
• OLC 2.0: 5 Years of Awesome Soaring
What is Wave Lift?
WIND
MOUNTAINS
ROLL CLOUD
LENTICULARS
The Perfect Sierra Wave Forecast
Rosamond 01/21/03
Safety: The Major Hazards • Pilot Incapacitation from Hypoxia
• Pilot Incapacitation from Thermal Stress (cold)
• Pilot Incapacitation due to Broken/Lost Canopy
• Pilot Incapacitation due to Dehydration
• Structural Failure due to Flutter
• Structural Failure due to Turbulence
• Structural Failure due to Mid-Air Collision
• Structural Failure due to Loss of Control in Clouds
• Landing Mishap due to Strong Sink
• Landing Mishap due to Strong Surface Winds
• Crew Stress due to Lost Communications
Safety: Pilot Incapacitation
• Hypoxia
Use an oximeter
(as cheap as $19.99
on Amazon.com)
Safety: Pilot Incapacitation
• Thermal Stress (cold)
Boots w/ 400 gram of insulation,
electric insole, 18-hr pads
Safety: Pilot Incapacitation
• Broken/Lost Canopy
No hat buttons
Safety: Pilot Incapacitation
• Dehydration
Flights in cold weather are insidious
Camelback
Safety: Structural Failure
• Flutter
VNE table
Safety: Structural Failure
• Turbulence
Rough air redline
Safety: Structural Failure
• Mid-Air Collision
PowerFLARM
Even with flight following saw Marty with no call out
Safety: Structural Failure
• Loss of Control in Clouds
Safety: Landing Mishap
• Strong Sink
Safety: Landing Mishap
• Strong Surface Winds
Must be able to land in big crosswind
In SoCal can often soar to airports with less wind
Safety: Crew Stress
• Lost Communications
Sat phone SPOT with Text
Planning • Know Sailplane and Instruments: Practice
• Be Proficient: Fly During Off Season
• Know Area: Study Maps and OLC Flight Logs
• Study Weather: Compare Forecast to Actual
• Know the Rules: OLC and FAI Rules are Different
• Create Tasks: Think Lines of Lift
OLC Rules 2007 thru 2010
• Each Flight Scored for Distance
– 6 Legs (5 Turnpoints)
– Leg 5 devalued 20%, Leg 6 devalued 40%
– Handicapped based on Sailplane Performance
• Best 6 Flights Count
• Last day to score is 2nd Monday in October
The Speed OLC Rules
• Each Flight Scored for Speed
– Best 2.5 Hours
– 4 Legs (Up 3 Turnpoints from OLC Route)
– Finish Height ≥ Start Height
– Handicapped based on Sailplane Performance
• Best 6 Flights Count
• Same Period
2011 Rule Changes
• OLC Plus – Scoring Change
• No devaluation of 5th and 6th legs (10% gain on 6 equal legs)
• Adds 30% bonus for FAI Triangle (25%/45% if over 500 km)
• OLC Speed – Must start within 15 km of launch point
• Claim – Must be within 48 hours
1,446 km 1,457 km
2007
Thermal to Wave
March 30
2008
1,795 km
April 19
JP’s 2008
• Top six flights totaled 9,170 kilometers (5,697 miles)
• Average of 1,528 km (949 miles) per flight
• Longest flight was 1,795 km (1,115 miles)
1,259km
156 kph
April 24
SparrowHawk
So far this wave season has not been
near a good as last season. So, even
though the forecast was for less than
optimum wave, I went for it. The winds
were more southwesterly than desired
so it was best between CinderCone
and Big Pine. Other places I found all
kinds of traps. There were more wave
clouds than normal and not all of them
were honest which caused me to be
faked out a couple of times. The 3rd
trip north was aborted due to sink and
turbulence at a line of cloud jutting out
from the Sierra. Getting home from
Inyokern was a challenge due to a 45
to 50 knot quartering headwind. This
was my 5th flight and 1st cross country
in a SparrowHawk. Thank you, Greg
Cole, for loaning me the SparrowHawk
... for its wing loading it performs very
well and it has great flying qualities ...
plus a "sweet" handicap. Thank you,
Jackie, for the retrieve.
JP’s 2009
Ultralight World Records
1,002.10 km Free 3 Turn Point Distance
91.95 kph 500 km O&R Speed
622.44 km O&R Distance
632.33 km Free O&R Distance
103.3 kph 500 km Triangle Speed
507.3 km Triangle Distance
527.3 km Free Triangle Distance
2010
1,652 km
June 10
ASH-25
2,180.3 km
Apr 28
ASH-25
2011
2011 Apr 28 10:58
2011
2011 Apr 28 10:59
2011 Apr 28 10:59
2011 Apr 28 13:32
2011 Apr 28 13:32
2011 Apr 28 15:30
2011 Apr 28 15:30
2011 Apr 28 17:14
2011 Apr 28 17:14
2011 Apr 28 17:32
2011 Apr 28 17:34
2011 Apr 28 18:53
2011 June 04
2011 Jun 04 05:29
Sunrise 05:39
05:48
06:27
06:28
06:42
06:42
07:42
07:42
16,300
08:39
08:32
08:35
08:44
08:44
08:50
08:50
08:50
08:58
08:58
10:22
10:22
10:22
11:04
14,500
13:03
15,300
13:03
13:17
13:17
15:09
15,850
17:08
11,000
17:08
17:08
17:43
17:43
19:07
10,900
19:07
19:07
19:44
Sunset 19:55
OLC “Secrets”
1. Location, Location, Location
2. Learn The Weather
3. Start As Early As Possible
4. Maximize The First Four Legs
5. Soar Until Sunset
Thank Yous
• Contest: Aerokurier, the OLC Staff , & the SSA
• Weather: Doug Armstrong & Dr Jack Glendening
• Sailplanes: Greg Cole, Bob Ettinger
• Tows: Bill Francis
• Flying Partners: Tom Payne, Dennis Tito
• Everything: Jackie