Cloud Flying

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.

On Mar 22, 6:23 pm, "Andy" wrote:
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.

no, what you said was correct, but it implied that you do need a
transponder in other controlled airspace (Class E) which is not true,
although probably a good idea.

On Mar 22, 10:49 pm, wrote:
On Mar 22, 6:23 pm, "Andy" wrote:

no, what you said was correct, but it implied that you do need a
transponder in other controlled airspace (Class E) which is not true,
although probably a good idea.

So If I said "you don't need to wear a tie when you are at the
beach". You'd think I implied that you need to wear a tie everywhere
except at the beach" Very strange, but I still don't speak American.
In my native language there is a difference between implication and
inference.


Andy

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




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

On Mar 23, 8:27 pm, "Mike Schumann" mike-nos...@traditions-
nospam.com wrote:
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.


yea you got it, except for a few rare possibilities that you could
cloud fly in Class G, where a flight plan/clearance is not required.
The equipment required does not include transponders. And apparently
while Andy isnt quite grasping American, I need to work on my
English. Until then I'll be the guy at the beach wearing a tie...