I've done a bit of cloud flying in your neck of the woods in single engine
airplanes but this story could apply to gliders as well.

I had departed White Sands Regional under a IFR flight plan to Houston
Hobby. Favorable tailwinds were available above 17,000 and there was a
towering CU sited just at Pinion VOR suggesting that those tailwinds might
be available to me. The WX forecast clearly stated that there was strong
capping at 400MB so I didn't expect towering CU's to develop into
thunderstorms. I contacted Albuquerque Center with this request, "9238J
requests climb to FL180 while holding at Pinion VOR".

ABQ center approved the request so I put on oxygen and centered the lift
below the 12,000' cloud base in a standard rate turn and started the climb.
Even a slow turn of 2 minutes per 360 can affect the inner ear if continued
long enough so I was careful to set trim and power to make the airplane as
stable as possible. (Note to instrument rated pilots: holding doesn't
actually require that you fly a "racetrack" pattern as long as you stay
within your clearance limits.)

The rate of climb increased to 1500 FPM at cloud base and the little Piper
soared to the flight levels allowing me to cruise to east Texas with a 50
knot tailwind. I got a cruise clearance FL180 to FL 240 so I could do a
little porpoise flying. There were many other towering CU's along the route
so I did a few "diversions for weather" to traverse them. I kept a constant
watch on weather advisories lest thunderstorms develop.

I figure that utilizing lift saved about 20 gallons of avgas on that flight.
Since the flight was conducted far above the operating ceiling of the Piper,
I see no reason that a glider couldn't have made the same flight.

While IFR/IMC flight in glider is both possible and legal with the right
equipment and training, it must be said that the skillset required is quite
large and the task is very demanding. Many very experienced instrument
pilots regard single pilot IFR in airplanes inadvisable due to the cockpit
workload. Adding the mind share needed to soar to that workload makes for a
formidable task.

I'm interested in glider IFR flight as much as any one. However, I think I
would keep it to IFR flight under VMC in low traffic areas. For example,
access to airspace above FL180 to permit a climb to the very high CU bases
that sometimes develop in the western US.


Bill Daniels

"Fox Two" wrote in message
ps.com...
Jacek,

I'm anxiously awaiting the article as well! Until it is, though, here
are some tasty morsels:

There aren't any FAR's that clearly say: "To fly a glider under IFR,
you must..." But there are some regs that we can correlate together to
find that, yes, flying a glider under IFR is completely legal. Such
as:

There is no instrument rating available for gliders, as is specified by
CFAR § 61.5(b)(8):

§ 61.5 Certificates and ratings issued under this part.
b) The following ratings are placed on a pilot certificate (other than
student pilot) when an applicant satisfactorily accomplishes the
training and certification requirements for the rating sought:
(8) Instrument ratings (on private and commercial pilot certificates
only)-
(i) Instrument-Airplane.
(ii) Instrument-Helicopter.
(iii) Instrument-Powered-lift.


But, CFAR § 61.3(e)(3) states that a pilot can get certified to fly a
glider under IFR:

§ 61.3 Requirement for certificates, ratings, and authorizations.
(e) Instrument rating. No person may act as pilot in command of a civil
aircraft under IFR or in weather conditions less than the minimums
prescribed for VFR flight unless that person holds:
(3) For a glider, a pilot certificate with a glider category rating and
an airplane instrument rating.


And, CFAR § 61.57(c)(2) specifies the recent pilot experience needed
to act as PIC in a glider under IFR:

§ 61.57 Recent flight experience: Pilot in command.
(c) Instrument experience. Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this
section, no person may act as pilot in command under IFR or in weather
conditions less than the minimums prescribed for VFR, unless within the
preceding 6 calendar months, that person has:
(2) For the purpose of obtaining instrument experience in a glider,
performed and logged under actual or simulated instrument conditions-

(i) At least 3 hours of instrument time in flight, of which 1 1/2 hours
may be acquired in an airplane or a glider if no passengers are to be
carried; or
(ii) 3 hours of instrument time in flight in a glider if a passenger is
to be carried.


Furthermore, CFAR § 61.57(d)(1)(iii) specifies how a glider pilot can
get an instrument competency check:

§ 61.57 Recent flight experience: Pilot in command.
(d) Instrument proficiency check. Except as provided in paragraph (e)
of this section, a person who does not meet the instrument experience
requirements of paragraph (c) of this section within the prescribed
time, or within 6 calendar months after the prescribed time, may not
serve as pilot in command under IFR or in weather conditions less than
the minimums prescribed for VFR until that person passes an instrument
proficiency check consisting of a representative number of tasks
required by the instrument rating practical test.
(1) The instrument proficiency check must be-
(iii) For a glider, in a single-engine airplane or a glider.


As far as inspections are concerned, CFAR § 91.413(a) does not exempt
gliders from the 24-month transponder inspection requirement:

§ 91.413 ATC transponder tests and inspections.
(a) No persons may use an ATC transponder that is specified in
91.215(a), 121.345(c), or §135.143(c) of this chapter unless, within
the preceding 24 calendar months, the ATC transponder has been tested
and inspected and found to comply with appendix F of part 43 of this
chapter.


But the altimeter inspection required by CFAR § 91.411 only applies to
airplanes and helicopters:

§ 91.411 Altimeter system and altitude reporting equipment tests and
inspections.
(a) No person may operate an airplane, or helicopter, in controlled
airspace under IFR unless- snip


Equipment requirements to certify your glider for IFR flight are
determined by the manufacturer, and the FAA. If you certify your
glider with an Experimental Airworthiness Certificate, you will need to
comply with your certificate's limitations, just like any other
experimantal aircraft.


As far as the procedure for receiving your IFR clearance is concerned,
you can use any approved method, there aren't any special procedures
for gliders.


And, FYI, I just visited the Schempp-Hirth factory last week where I
saw a beautiful new IFR-certified Ventus with a US registration. Yes,
it's legal.

Chris Fleming, F2





wrote:

Yeah, IFR it is....I am very curious about that article, will you
include all the FAR's and AIM's for glider flight in IMC? How about
xponder check out every 24 months? How about the instrument rating? Is
one available for a glider? And yeah, how about the clearance? Do you
get a pop-up clearance or , since you are not flying from controlled
airport simply have a void time? I would like to be educated in all of
those aspects.

Thanks,

Jacek
Washington State