Soaring Long XC in Wave
• Weather
• Safety
• Planning
• OLC Rules
• OLC 2.0: 5 Years of Awesome Soaring
What is Wave Lift?
WIND
MOUNTAINS
ROLL CLOUD
LENTICULARS
The Perfect Sierra Wave Forecast
Rosamond 01/21/03
Safety: The Major Hazards • Pilot Incapacitation from Hypoxia
• Pilot Incapacitation from Thermal Stress (cold)
• Pilot Incapacitation due to Broken/Lost Canopy
• Pilot Incapacitation due to Dehydration
• Structural Failure due to Flutter
• Structural Failure due to Turbulence
• Structural Failure due to Mid-Air Collision
• Structural Failure due to Loss of Control in Clouds
• Landing Mishap due to Strong Sink
• Landing Mishap due to Strong Surface Winds
• Crew Stress due to Lost Communications
Safety: Pilot Incapacitation
• Hypoxia
Use an oximeter
(as cheap as $19.99
on Amazon.com)
Safety: Pilot Incapacitation
• Thermal Stress (cold)
Boots w/ 400 gram of insulation,
electric insole, 18-hr pads
Safety: Pilot Incapacitation
• Broken/Lost Canopy
No hat buttons
Safety: Pilot Incapacitation
• Dehydration
Flights in cold weather are insidious
Camelback
Safety: Structural Failure
• Flutter
VNE table
Safety: Structural Failure
• Turbulence
Rough air redline
Safety: Structural Failure
• Mid-Air Collision
PowerFLARM
Even with flight following saw Marty with no call out
Safety: Structural Failure
• Loss of Control in Clouds
Safety: Landing Mishap
• Strong Sink
Safety: Landing Mishap
• Strong Surface Winds
Must be able to land in big crosswind
In SoCal can often soar to airports with less wind
Safety: Crew Stress
• Lost Communications
Sat phone SPOT with Text
Planning • Know Sailplane and Instruments: Practice
• Be Proficient: Fly During Off Season
• Know Area: Study Maps and OLC Flight Logs
• Study Weather: Compare Forecast to Actual
• Know the Rules: OLC and FAI Rules are Different
• Create Tasks: Think Lines of Lift
OLC Rules 2007 thru 2010
• Each Flight Scored for Distance
– 6 Legs (5 Turnpoints)
– Leg 5 devalued 20%, Leg 6 devalued 40%
– Handicapped based on Sailplane Performance
• Best 6 Flights Count
• Last day to score is 2nd Monday in October
The Speed OLC Rules
• Each Flight Scored for Speed
– Best 2.5 Hours
– 4 Legs (Up 3 Turnpoints from OLC Route)
– Finish Height ≥ Start Height
– Handicapped based on Sailplane Performance
• Best 6 Flights Count
• Same Period
2011 Rule Changes
• OLC Plus – Scoring Change
• No devaluation of 5th and 6th legs (10% gain on 6 equal legs)
• Adds 30% bonus for FAI Triangle (25%/45% if over 500 km)
• OLC Speed – Must start within 15 km of launch point
• Claim – Must be within 48 hours
1,446 km 1,457 km
2007
Thermal to Wave
March 30
2008
1,795 km
April 19
JP’s 2008
• Top six flights totaled 9,170 kilometers (5,697 miles)
• Average of 1,528 km (949 miles) per flight
• Longest flight was 1,795 km (1,115 miles)
The 2009 Aerokurier OLC Year of the SparrowHawk
1,259km
156 kph
April 24
SparrowHawk
So far this wave season has not been
near a good as last season. So, even
though the forecast was for less than
optimum wave, I went for it. The winds
were more southwesterly than desired
so it was best between CinderCone
and Big Pine. Other places I found all
kinds of traps. There were more wave
clouds than normal and not all of them
were honest which caused me to be
faked out a couple of times. The 3rd
trip north was aborted due to sink and
turbulence at a line of cloud jutting out
from the Sierra. Getting home from
Inyokern was a challenge due to a 45
to 50 knot quartering headwind. This
was my 5th flight and 1st cross country
in a SparrowHawk. Thank you, Greg
Cole, for loaning me the SparrowHawk
... for its wing loading it performs very
well and it has great flying qualities ...
plus a "sweet" handicap. Thank you,
Jackie, for the retrieve.
JP’s 2009
Ultralight World Records
1,002.10 km Free 3 Turn Point Distance
91.95 kph 500 km O&R Speed
622.44 km O&R Distance
632.33 km Free O&R Distance
103.3 kph 500 km Triangle Speed
507.3 km Triangle Distance
527.3 km Free Triangle Distance
2010
1,652 km
June 10
ASH-25
2,180.3 km
Apr 28
ASH-25
2011
2011 Apr 28 10:58
2011
2011 Apr 28 10:59
2011 Apr 28 10:59
2011 Apr 28 13:32
2011 Apr 28 13:32
2011 Apr 28 15:30
2011 Apr 28 15:30
2011 Apr 28 17:14
2011 Apr 28 17:14
2011 Apr 28 17:32
2011 Apr 28 17:34
2011 Apr 28 18:53
2011 June 04
2011 Jun 04 05:29
Sunrise 05:39
05:48
06:27
06:28
06:42
06:42
07:42
07:42
16,300
08:39
08:32
08:35
08:44
08:44
08:50
08:50
08:50
08:58
08:58
10:22
10:22
10:22
11:04
14,500
13:03
15,300
13:03
13:17
13:17
15:09
15,850
17:08
11,000
17:08
17:08
17:43
17:43
19:07
10,900
19:07
19:07
19:44
Sunset 19:55
OLC “Secrets”
1. Location, Location, Location
2. Learn The Weather
3. Start As Early As Possible
4. Maximize The First Four Legs
5. Soar Until Sunset
Thank Yous
• Contest: Aerokurier, the OLC Staff , & the SSA
• Weather: Doug Armstrong & Dr Jack Glendening
• Sailplanes: Greg Cole, Bob Ettinger
• Tows: Bill Francis
• Flying Partners: Tom Payne, Dennis Tito
• Everything: Jackie