Around the world glider project

kirjoitti
legroups.com...
From the Czech news service.

Headline: Brno pilots plan to fly around the world in glider

BRNO (PDM staff with CTK) 12 July - A team of experts from the
Brno-based Sport Aviation Association is preparing for the first ever
flight around the world in a glider, association head Vladislav Zejda
told CTK yesterday.

Is this a newspiece?
I found http://www.radio.cz/en/article/35215 which is from Dec.2002
http://archiv.radio.cz/php/parse.pht...14-12-02.xml#1

But in general, it would be nice to hear wether there are any thermals on
the oceans?
They are mentioned at least here
http://www.antarcticconnection.com/a...lbatross.shtml
"Albatrosses are supreme gliders; with modified wings to maximize the
updrafts and thermals over the open ocean. Albatrosses are best observed
during rough weather, when high waves create strong uplifting air currents,
enabling them to remain aloft with hardly a wing beat for hours on end."

And what would be the ideal heigth to soar over the ocean? Is it over 20km
as Hana Zejdova said in the interview? Or is it so low over the water
surface, that you (or the glider) can utilize vertical air movements caused
by the water waves in the horizontal wind.

Is it possible to soar above these air waves?

And if it it impossible to glide over the ocean, could it be still possible
to make a record how long man can soar from from west to east over land
areas? And allow him to come down in the evenings for sleep and continue in
the morning? It would be a famous and memorable air rally even that way,
especially if it is flown as competition, and if it is possible to fly from
Siberia to Alaska across Bering Sea

Fancy imagination?
--
Erkki Mikola

Erkki Mikola wrote:

kirjoitti
legroups.com...

From the Czech news service.

Headline: Brno pilots plan to fly around the world in glider

BRNO (PDM staff with CTK) 12 July - A team of experts from the
Brno-based Sport Aviation Association is preparing for the first ever
flight around the world in a glider, association head Vladislav Zejda
told CTK yesterday.


Is this a newspiece?
I found http://www.radio.cz/en/article/35215 which is from Dec.2002
http://archiv.radio.cz/php/parse.pht...14-12-02.xml#1


But in general, it would be nice to hear wether there are any thermals
on the oceans?
They are mentioned at least here
http://www.antarcticconnection.com/a...lbatross.shtml
"Albatrosses are supreme gliders; with modified wings to maximize the
updrafts and thermals over the open ocean. Albatrosses are best observed
during rough weather, when high waves create strong uplifting air
currents, enabling them to remain aloft with hardly a wing beat for
hours on end."

And what would be the ideal heigth to soar over the ocean? Is it over
20km as Hana Zejdova said in the interview? Or is it so low over the
water surface, that you (or the glider) can utilize vertical air
movements caused by the water waves in the horizontal wind.

Is it possible to soar above these air waves?

And if it it impossible to glide over the ocean, could it be still
possible to make a record how long man can soar from from west to east
over land areas? And allow him to come down in the evenings for sleep
and continue in the morning? It would be a famous and memorable air
rally even that way, especially if it is flown as competition, and if it
is possible to fly from Siberia to Alaska across Bering Sea

Fancy imagination?
--
Erkki Mikola


The upcurrents produced by waves are not thermals but literally wave
effect as found over mountain ranges and which allow gliders to get to
over 20 000ft. Albatrosses also use the wind gradient. The wind blows
faster a little way above the wave compared to lower down and this can
be utiliseed by trading ground speed for height while keeping airspeed
constant, true soaring!