Cloud Flying

On 17 Mar, 19:22, Jack wrote:
wrote:

Does anyone still do this? It is illegal in the USA....

Do not make that assumption. It can be done legally in the USA.
Certain requirements must be met.

This has been dealt with extensively on this News Group twice in the
last year -- check the archives.

Jack

Thanks jack. Will take a look
George

On Mar 17, 3:53 pm, wrote:
On 17 Mar, 19:22, Jack wrote:

wrote:

Does anyone still do this? It is illegal in the USA....

Do not make that assumption. It can be done legally in the USA.
Certain requirements must be met.

This has been dealt with extensively on this News Group twice in the
last year -- check the archives.

Jack

Thanks jack. Will take a look
George

yes, cloud flying is perfectly legal in the US. You simply have to
equip the glider in accordance with the POH (certified) or Operating
Limitation (Experimental). If the POH or Op. Lims dont allow it then
you cannot do it in that glider. Then you have to meet the currency
requirements of Part 61 and have an instrument rating in Single or
Multiengine Airplanes, or an ATP.

Shawn Knickerbocker flies clouds in Florida in his Nimbus, he
presented at the convention in Memphis and had his glider on display,
it was quite amazing. The climb rates are phenomenal, you really dont
have to spend that much time in the cloud. with 3-5k fpm climbs you
can cruise!

I would assume that you need to be flying IFR with all the attendant issues
(equipment, talking to ATC, etc...)

Mike

wrote in message
oups.com...
On Mar 17, 3:53 pm, wrote:
On 17 Mar, 19:22, Jack wrote:

wrote:

Does anyone still do this? It is illegal in the USA....

Do not make that assumption. It can be done legally in the USA.
Certain requirements must be met.

This has been dealt with extensively on this News Group twice in the
last year -- check the archives.

Jack

Thanks jack. Will take a look
George

yes, cloud flying is perfectly legal in the US. You simply have to
equip the glider in accordance with the POH (certified) or Operating
Limitation (Experimental). If the POH or Op. Lims dont allow it then
you cannot do it in that glider. Then you have to meet the currency
requirements of Part 61 and have an instrument rating in Single or
Multiengine Airplanes, or an ATP.

Shawn Knickerbocker flies clouds in Florida in his Nimbus, he
presented at the convention in Memphis and had his glider on display,
it was quite amazing. The climb rates are phenomenal, you really dont
have to spend that much time in the cloud. with 3-5k fpm climbs you
can cruise!




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

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.

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

"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

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

On Mar 21, 8:29 am, "Andy" wrote:
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

Read the regs, dont need a transponder in Class E either, even if
IFR. Only required for gliders in Class B and C or overflying Class
C.

icing would be an issue in the midwest if flying in towering cu's.
but i can see a lot of advantage flying clouds in the midwest in my
low performance glider. Especially on low days where XC below
cloudbase might not be the best idea, but the tops of the cu's are up
around 8 or 10,000. A lot of days i could double my height above
ground if i could thermal into the clouds.

On Mar 21, 9:57 am, wrote:
Read the regs

Did I say something that conflicted with that? My condition was no IFR
flight plan AND no transponder.

I am confused. If you are flying VFR, whether you are in Class G, E, or
whatever, you need to stay clear of clouds as specified in FAR 91.155. If
you are going to be in a cloud, you need to be flying IFR. To do this, you
need to be on a flight plan, properly rated, and have an IFR equiped glider.
Am I missing something????

Mike Schumann

"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




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com