1800km Sierra Wave XC Flight Today

wrote:
Has he posted on OLC?


Kemp wrote:
Today Gordon Boettger flew his Kestrel on a 3TP flight of about
1800km
out of Minden, Nevada. A sunrise takeoff lead to the first turn
near
Chilcoot, then South to near Inyokern, back North to Susanville,
then
down to Palmdale. This flight handily beats my flight of last year
on
a similar route. Gordon had clearances to 23,000 and sometimes
28,000
feet and was mostly screaming along. Ah, just another day in the
Sierra Nevada wave.....

Congrats to Gordon, more details to come soon.


Kemp

My friend Gordo doesn't fly often....but when he flies....he flies
GOOD!!

Before this, his previous flight was last year in the fall.....that was
the Hilton Cup winner.....few flights before that was the 2004
Barringer Trophy, then a couple of Nevada State Speed records...oh...
hum....

GREAT job Gordo!

Erik / XL

On the OLC, Gordon made this comment:

"At 1615L near Owens Dry Lake, I was required by ATC to make an eastward
deviation of 10 miles due to opposing glider traffic operating under IFR
clearance like me. The trace shows a required departure from wave
conditions and a track southbound until clear of traffic. I then
proceeded westbound near Inyokern and in the process lost 16,000 feet
before contacting wave again and making a climb to FL280 for final glide."

I wonder what other glider was flying IFR, and why ATC made Gordon go so
far to the east?


wrote:
My friend Gordo doesn't fly often....but when he flies....he flies
GOOD!!

Before this, his previous flight was last year in the fall.....that was
the Hilton Cup winner.....few flights before that was the 2004
Barringer Trophy, then a couple of Nevada State Speed records...oh...
hum....

GREAT job Gordo!

Erik / XL

More details:
- Gordon's flight is now on the OLC for March 27. Stated distance is
1824km or 1133sm, a new longest soaring flight in the US.
- The eastward deviation was to clear the IFR block allocated to the
Perlan project, with Steve Fossett and Einar in the 30-35K range. ATC
wouldn't allow two IFR flights to have intersecting airspace blocks, so
Gordon had to go around, regardless of the fact that both are gliders.
- Landing was at Fox Field, not at Palmdale as earlier stated.
- The winds had quite a southerly component, with the wave ending near
Inyokern. Although he had 28,000ft starting his final glide, the
headwind chewed into his glide such that by Fox Field he had only 1,500
AGL!
- Clearances were up to 31-32K, not 28K as stated earlier.
Bob Speilman was flying his 1-26 out of Minden that day and flew the
wave for a 300+km flight.

Kemp