On Sunday, February 24, 2013 4:42:29 PM UTC-5, son_of_flubber wrote:

It seems a little out of touch with reality that gliders frequently put themselves in the position where they might need to descend through clouds and yet they typically do not have the training or carry the instruments to handle that situation. Is this because the FAR were written before it was common for gliders to fly in wave? If we brought this anomaly to the attention of the FAA, are we afraid that they will outlaw wave flying?

Nope. In over 25 years of East Coast soaring, I've averaged 2-3 trips into the wave each year. Some more, some less. So, figure 50-75 excursions up above 10K. In all those flights, I've never been trapped on top - not even close. As others have mentioned, part of the training is to recognize when this is happening. If you insist on climbing up through a tiny hole or staying up when the cloud deck is rapidly forming, then I guess it could happen. But, I'm not aware of a single person in our club (at one of the 3-4 most active wave sites in the east) where this has been an issue in the 20 years I've been a member. At least nobody has admitted it.

P3