Mt Washington Diamond Mine delivers again...

On Monday, October 15, 2018 at 4:59:45 AM UTC-4, wrote:
So, how about a Diamond climb without the need for a wave window? Here is how you do it:

Launch out of Santa Ynez (California) Airport KIZA on a north wind day with wave conditions forecast. Ridge soar the mountains just south of the field (Santa Ynez Peak to Bald Mountain etc.) until you are sure the ridge lift is there. Do a redline pass down the dry river bed at the base of those mountains (~500 ft MSL if you really push it, woohoo). Pull back up into the ridge lift and re-establish a climb. Float at min sink or find a thermal that takes you to at least 5000 ft MSL or so. Turn downwind and head for Santa Rosa Island (you will be heading over the water, and seeing the shoreline disappear under your wings is definitely spooky). Contact the wave downwind of the mountains and over the water. Climb to 18,000 ft MSL, presto, a Diamond climb!

Oh, and you may want to pre-check for bailout fields downwind of the mountains, west of Goleta. There were some decent ones back in the '80's, that were checked out and walked before this was attempted. I have no idea if those fields are still there....

I didn't invent this, the old Santa Ynez crew back in the late '80's told me about it, they had flown this profile numerous times. I tried it in October 1989 in my '20, but the wave only went to 11,000 ft or so that day. I already had my Diamond climb (Mt Mitchell NC in 1985) so I didn't go on a campaign for getting to 18,000 ft.... But Diamond climbs had been done that way, so I was told.

I hope I don't get in trouble for sharing this....

Cheers,
J6

I did my Diamond climb at Gorham a few years ago. Low point about 700 above the airport. Max 17990. Made Diamond by 62 feet. I was told that this was the 5th "legal" Diamond done there.
Window was not open that day because gubment shutdown had just ended and they need the airspace for other stuff.
FWIW
UH

I did my Diamond climb at Gorham a few years ago. Low point about
700
above=
the airport. Max 17990. Made Diamond by 62 feet. I was told that
this was
=
the 5th "legal" Diamond done there.
Window was not open that day because gubment shutdown had just
ended and
th=
ey need the airspace for other stuff.
FWIW
UH

UH,

Maybe the 5th one out of Gorham, but there were numerous
climbs like that made from the old White Mountain airport in North
Conway before that airport was closed. After we opened up modern
wave flying there in 1966, people figured out that one didn't have to
tow 23 miles to get to the primary at Pinkham Notch. All one had to
do was climb up off the ridge at the east end of the airport and then
jump about 5 or 6 waves upwind. There were numerous flights that
were made to Diamond altitude gains with releases about 300' AGL on
the ridge right off the end of the runway. It sure cut down on the
launch time intervals as opposed to the tow plane having to do a 46
mile round trip through the Moat Mountain range rotor out and back.

RO

On Monday, October 15, 2018 at 10:30:04 AM UTC-4, Michael Opitz wrote:
I did my Diamond climb at Gorham a few years ago. Low point about
700
above=
the airport. Max 17990. Made Diamond by 62 feet. I was told that
this was
=
the 5th "legal" Diamond done there.
Window was not open that day because gubment shutdown had just
ended and
th=
ey need the airspace for other stuff.
FWIW
UH

UH,

Maybe the 5th one out of Gorham, but there were numerous
climbs like that made from the old White Mountain airport in North
Conway before that airport was closed. After we opened up modern
wave flying there in 1966, people figured out that one didn't have to
tow 23 miles to get to the primary at Pinkham Notch. All one had to
do was climb up off the ridge at the east end of the airport and then
jump about 5 or 6 waves upwind. There were numerous flights that
were made to Diamond altitude gains with releases about 300' AGL on
the ridge right off the end of the runway. It sure cut down on the
launch time intervals as opposed to the tow plane having to do a 46
mile round trip through the Moat Mountain range rotor out and back.

RO

I was trying to point out that one does not have to take a whore tow and use Class A airspace to get the diamond. My flight was not at all remarkable, but relatively uncommon. The only uncommon thing about my flight was that I did it on the first try.
We are lucky to have Gorham as a site, having lost the other sites to uses like shopping malls.
UH

At 14:54 15 October 2018, wrote:
On Monday, October 15, 2018 at 10:30:04 AM UTC-4, Michael
Opitz wrote:
I did my Diamond climb at Gorham a few years ago. Low point
about
700
above=
the airport. Max 17990. Made Diamond by 62 feet. I was told
that
this was
=
the 5th "legal" Diamond done there.
Window was not open that day because gubment shutdown
had just
ended and
th=
ey need the airspace for other stuff.
FWIW
UH

UH,

Maybe the 5th one out of Gorham, but there were numerous
climbs like that made from the old White Mountain airport in
North
Conway before that airport was closed. After we opened up
modern
wave flying there in 1966, people figured out that one didn't
have to
tow 23 miles to get to the primary at Pinkham Notch. All one
had to
do was climb up off the ridge at the east end of the airport and
then
jump about 5 or 6 waves upwind. There were numerous flights
that
were made to Diamond altitude gains with releases about 300'
AGL on
the ridge right off the end of the runway. It sure cut down on
the
launch time intervals as opposed to the tow plane having to do a
46
mile round trip through the Moat Mountain range rotor out and
back.

RO

I was trying to point out that one does not have to take a whore
tow and
use Class A airspace to get the diamond. My flight was not at all
remarkable, but relatively uncommon. The only uncommon thing
about my
flight was that I did it on the first try.
We are lucky to have Gorham as a site, having lost the other sites
to uses
like shopping malls.
UH


UH,

Actually, the whore tows were responsible for people finding the
alternative much lower ridge releases. Towing the 23 miles one way
in the constant Moat range rotor was a royal pain as well, but once
word about the wave possibilities got out, the initial operation with
one L-19 tow plane could just not keep up with the demand of
everyone showing up for a flight. The turn around time for just one
tow was on the order of 45 minutes or more. So, as we learned the
wave system and explored more, the much shorter tows with lower
releases on the ridge became the norm, and the operation was able
to accommodate the larger number of pilots who came out to
experience it.

RO