Cloud Flying

On Mar 21, 7:09 am, "Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote:
"Andy" wrote in message

ups.com...

On Mar 20, 8:39 pm, wrote:
I would assume that you need to be flying IFR with all the attendant
issues
(equipment, talking to ATC, etc...)

of course, and they really aren't "issues" Pretty standard flying for
many pilots.

No need to talk to anybody and don't need a transponder if you are in
class G airspace. Of course that limits your options a bit but there
is some suitable class G in Arizona. Some disagree so see previous
discussions.

Andy

Most class G airspace of usable dimensions exists in the western US
mountains. It has a ceiling of 14,500 feet except where designated
otherwise on sectionals. This is lower than most pilots are comfortable
with in the mountains. Most often there are no clouds in this airspace if
thermic conditions exist since cu bases tend to be much higher.

If convective clouds do exist in these areas, they are likely to be ice
generators. I have seen rime ice form at the rate of 1/2"/min in cumulus
over mountains.

Cloud flying in Class G, while not unimaginable, is not likely to be very
practical. More plausable is soaring under IFR rules in Visual
Meteorlogical Conditions for XC wave flights in Class A as has been done
over the Sierras. A fully equipped glider, an instrument rating, and a
clearance is your ticket out of the wave window.

Cumulus cloud flying works best below the freezing level - Florida seems
ideal for this.

Bill Daniels

Find a Phoenix sectional and look near Bagdad. Plenty of separation
between terrain and 14k for cloud climbs to be made. As I said in
previous threads the only reason I didn't do it was I didn't want to
build a gyr panel and have to mess with it for contest flying. Now my
28 is day vfr limited on its US experimetal ticket so I can't anyway.

Andy