Diamond Altitude via thermal in the US?

Just curious if there are any commercial operations in the US where you
can obtain diamond altitude via thermals. I'm aware of the wave options
at places like Minden.

Many thanks,

Mark

Gary Emerson wrote:
Just curious if there are any commercial operations in the US where you
can obtain diamond altitude via thermals. I'm aware of the wave options
at places like Minden.

Many thanks,

Mark

Wouldn't be surprised if it could be done on the right day out of
Minden, or Boulder. You'd still need to open the wave window and get a
low release. E.g. from Boulder, release at 6500 ft (1200 ft AGL) and
work west to the continental divide catching a thermal from there to
diamond height (23,000 ft or so). You might find yourself in wave
anyway. I did last month.

Shawn

Shawn wrote:
Wouldn't be surprised if it could be done on the right day out of
Minden, or Boulder. You'd still need to open the wave window and get a
low release. E.g. from Boulder, release at 6500 ft (1200 ft AGL) and
work west to the continental divide catching a thermal from there to
diamond height (23,000 ft or so). You might find yourself in wave
anyway. I did last month.

The thermals never go high enough within the confines of the northern
Sierra wave windows to allow a Diamond Altitude gain. AFAIK, there has
been exactly one thermal Diamond Altitude done out of Reno area
airports, and that was a three Diamond flight from Truckee, with remote
start at Bridgeport, down to Death Valley, dive down to near sea level,
climb back up to 18,000 feet, and return to Bridgeport.

On a good late spring day at one of the northern California coastal
range airports (Williams, Crazy Creek, Hollister) it could probably be
done...

Marc

Gary Emerson wrote:

Just curious if there are any commercial operations in the US where
you can obtain diamond altitude via thermals.

The classic way to earn diamond altitude was inside a cb. I know that
cloud flying is not popular in the USA, although it's legal (with the
appropriate ratings).

Stefan

"Shawn" sdotcurry@bresnananotherdotnet wrote in message
...
Gary Emerson wrote:
Just curious if there are any commercial operations in the US where you
can obtain diamond altitude via thermals. I'm aware of the wave options
at places like Minden.

Many thanks,

Mark

Wouldn't be surprised if it could be done on the right day out of
Minden, or Boulder. You'd still need to open the wave window and get a
low release. E.g. from Boulder, release at 6500 ft (1200 ft AGL) and
work west to the continental divide catching a thermal from there to
diamond height (23,000 ft or so). You might find yourself in wave
anyway. I did last month.

Shawn


It could be done in the Boulder wave window all right. I've seen Cu bases
near 24,000 ft.

Another possibility is Alamogordo, NM. They have a huge wave window that is
easy to open and very good thermals.

Bill Daniels

When I did my gold, I released at 2000AGL, which was
2800MSL, and the thermals in Central Valley CA went
above 14k.

At my airport, it may be possible to get a thermal
at
700AGL (1500MSL) and then if it was a smokin' day,
ride a thermal to 18k over the Mountains near Panoche.
That would be quite an accomplishment...

I suspect there are airports near Tehachapi (Bakersfield?)
which might be able to do this too. A climb out of
there up into Big Bear or over Tehachapi would be pretty
neat.

Any of you Calif. desert guys done something like this
and just ain't tellin'?

I got 10k+ gain this way, but had no oxygen or thermal
tops to take me to 17,999...wouldn't have mattered
anyway since the
low point was only 2800 too...

But it would be nice to not need a wave window

At 19:30 19 July 2005, Bill Daniels wrote:

'Shawn' wrote in message
...
Gary Emerson wrote:
Just curious if there are any commercial operations
in the US where you
can obtain diamond altitude via thermals. I'm aware
of the wave options
at places like Minden.

Many thanks,

Mark

Wouldn't be surprised if it could be done on the right
day out of
Minden, or Boulder. You'd still need to open the
wave window and get a
low release. E.g. from Boulder, release at 6500 ft
(1200 ft AGL) and
work west to the continental divide catching a thermal
from there to
diamond height (23,000 ft or so). You might find
yourself in wave
anyway. I did last month.

Shawn


It could be done in the Boulder wave window all right.
I've seen Cu bases
near 24,000 ft.

Another possibility is Alamogordo, NM. They have a
huge wave window that is
easy to open and very good thermals.

Bill Daniels


Mark J. Boyd

If can be done from Turf (Phoenix, Az) on a good day - but you would
have to be on an IFR clearance to do it legally. Turf is at 1600', and
I've seen cloudbases above 22,000' (FL220) on a good day up by the
Grand Canyon (an "easy" 2-3 hour flight from Turf).

There has been some talk of arranging for a "Thermal Window" that would
make this easier to do.

Kirk

It can also be done legally here in the Phoenix valley
without clearance as at least two pilots have demonstrated.
You only need to fly out to Gila Bend (778 msl), pull
the spoilers out until you’re under 800 ft agl and
then thermal up to the legal limit. I tried this once
but after circling around the Gila Bend airport for
half an hour at low altitude looking for lift decided
it just wasn't that important to me.





At 21:12 19 July 2005, wrote:
If can be done from Turf (Phoenix, Az) on a good day
- but you would
have to be on an IFR clearance to do it legally. Turf
is at 1600', and
I've seen cloudbases above 22,000' (FL220) on a good
day up by the
Grand Canyon (an 'easy' 2-3 hour flight from Turf).

There has been some talk of arranging for a 'Thermal
Window' that would
make this easier to do.

Kirk

If I remember correctly, Gary Ittner did a diamond
climb last Thanksgiving day weekend at Santa Ynez,
CA. I think he started the climb in thermal conditions
and then connected with wave the rest of the way. I
thought it was on the OLC page but can't seem to find
it...
Brian Iten
MB1

Marc Ramsey wrote:

AFAIK, there has
been exactly one thermal Diamond Altitude done out of Reno area
airports, and that was a three Diamond flight from Truckee, with remote
start at Bridgeport, down to Death Valley, dive down to near sea level,
climb back up to 18,000 feet, and return to Bridgeport.

That inspired pilot is Sergio Colacevich. He earned all three diamonds
in just one flight, that day.

Aldo Cernezzi