SSB 00/01 Wave Project Stories

Pilot	Glider	Date	Window Used?
Mark Terry	Grob 102 SS	10/1/00	Yes
You can tell it is officially wave season because the Denver soaring forecast switches from thermal to wave which it did today Oct 1 - it said fair for wave - and it was actually an excellent wave day. Grob 102 SS made it up to 23,000' and I heard a couple of Mile High ships went higher. It is a good wave day when you can launch to the east and make it up through thermal (or rotor) to the wave. The first attempt, when I got off at 7,500 just west of the field got nowhere, but on the second attempt when I got off at 8300' east of the field worked well. I pretty much always work my way up in rotor or thermal to the wave, rather than try to tow into wave, but some days a high tow will work well. This time, I think I was climbing in weakish thermal (1-2 knots) over US 287 until I broke through into wave at around 12,000 (tertiary) nice climb (max 6 knots) to 17,500 then push off west to the secondary - called Denver Approach on 128.65 the wave-window had been opened by Mile-high, but had gone inactive when the gliders had left. The controller was helpful and gave me a block of airspace to 25,000 and asked how long I needed. Then asked me to squawk 1250 ( it appears they think gliders have transponders, which is a bit worrying) Anyway, after getting clearance to enter our wave area I 'S' turned in the secondary up to 21,000 and then set off for the divide, climbing on the way to a max of 23,000 before sinking to 17,000 just west of peak-to-peak highway. The visibility was great and while fiddling on the radio I think I picked up Los Angles ATIS. Shortly after SS was low on oxygen so I turned for home and radioed Denver to say I was exiting the wave area. On the way back the indicated A/S was 60 knots but my GPS said 120knots (tail wind + alititude) It did not take long to get back to Boulder, and as usual on such days the wind had switched to the West on the ground and was getting strong 15-gusting 20. Always good to radio the airfield or traffic to get an idea of the wind so you can prepare for a gusty wind landing. Ralph the Mile High tow pilot helped me tie it down, one thing you need to think about as the afternoon wears on and you are working the wonders of the wave-lift is will there be anyone on the ground to help if the west-wind has picked up to 30 knots +. After tying down SS, I phoned Denver to report last glider out of the wave-window was down, and signed our Wave book. The last entry was a diamond climb of over a year ago( CJB). So this means we are not simply not doing enough wave flights, and not asking to get into the wave area - (i.e. above 18,000') we need to exercise the wave area - otherwise it may go away. If you want fly wave and get your wave signoff let me know and I will try to organize some wave-weekends this winter Also try to hook up with some of the more experienced members and launch early when it is east on the ground and the lennies are building!

Pilot	Glider	Date	Window Used?
Robert Patterson.		12/9/00	Yes
So, my big wave story goes like this... I happened to be near the field on Saturday, Dec. 9 and it looked like the wave was working, or at least the rotor was. Fortunately, there were ships to be had as a couple of people had just come back (one with a sick passenger). "It's great, and not too cold", they told me. It was warm, and the west winds on the surface that were present earlier had dropped to nothing, so a leisurely east takeoff was all mine. Rod yanked me up with the club pawnee, we turned west, and without turning were at 9,000 on the east edge of Lee Hill. This is where the rotor started to go up again. My vario and the well-defined windward edge of the rotor cloud were enough to convince me to get off. After about 15 seconds of not being to sure I did the right thing, I started to rocket up. It was strong and rough. I elevatored up just upwind of the rotor cloud at rates I couldn't measure. Everything was pegged. I know that lift was significantly greater than 1600fpm and likely greater than 2000fpm. As I got higher, things smoothed out and it felt more like wave. Before I knew it, I was approaching the 18,000 limit. Oops. Why didn't I call and reserve the window? So much for planning. Luckily I had my cell phone, and a call to mile high confirmed that they had reserved it. Without any trouble, I got Denver center on 128.650. They made me wait a minute while they diverted traffic (I heard them do it) and then gave me clearance to 25,000ft. I had to do the talking while parked in the wave with full brakes to keep below 18,000. When I got the clearance, I set my altimeter to QNH Setting, closed the brakes, and sped on up to 22,000. The wave really tapered off the next 3,000 up. The climb to my final altitude (24,800 ft on Denver's setting - higher on my ground setting) took about 20 minutes. It was cold and noisy up there, but the view was unreal. The lennies were smoother than silk, and I could see which ski resorts were getting snow. This was in the secondary wave. I penetrated to primary over the peak-to-peak highway (there was no wave definition upwind of this) and found it was not as strong. This was my excuse to get back down and warm up. I exited the window for a while, and later re-entered it back up to 23,000. At this point I was freezing, so I rode down the back side of the secondary. It didn't take long. The rotor over Boulder was rather rough between 14k and 10k, but smoothed out below that giving me a chance to set the altimeter back to where it was. I landed to the east, and it took a while for me to get warm. Colin and Coe helped me put things away and gave me an audience to gloat to. Thanks guys!

Pilot

Glider

Date

Window Used?

Barry & Terry

G103 - N125CC

01/11/01

Date: 01/11/2001 Aircraft: G103, N125CC Pilots: Mark Terry, Colin Barry

Driving to the airport at around 11:00 no wave clouds were visible but on arrival a single rotor cloud was visible over the foothills. I had seen a lenticular behind Longs Peak earlier that day.

Launch was made at around 13:00 using Mile High. Weather at the airport was blue skys with a pleasant temperature of 55F and winds very light to nil. Tow to altitude was smooth and we crossed the foothills at around 8,300 feet where we encountered very minor turbulence.

We kept on towing west along Nugget Ridge until we were over Rock Lake, which is about 2 miles north of Gold Lake, where we encountered strong patches of lift and released at 11,300. At this point a secondary wave cloud was just east of our position and an obvious primary wave cloud was positioned over the peak-to-peak highway.

We climbed initially by either circling or using S turns in what we believed to be the rotor, even though no rotor cloud was visible. If we circled we were being drifted quickly to the east. In this rotor we observed consistent climbs of over 1000 fpm with a peak rate on the averager of 1500 fpm. We went laminar at around 14,000 and attempted to open the wave window but we could not raise Denver. At 17,000 we decided to penetrate forward and passed under the extreme left edge of the primary wave cloud where we encountered some mild turbulence. About 1/4 mile in front of the cloud at 15,000 we regained the lift, turned right and started surfing. To the west of the continental divide the cloud cover was unbroken with tops around 14,000 while in our position the front side of the cloud was visible as far as we could see.

We flew at about 70 knots at 17,900 and adjusted our position relative to the lenticular attempting to maintain zero on the variometer by moving east and west. We were able to fly north for about 80 miles to a position 10 miles north of an abandoned dirt strip (N40 53.61, W105 56.905) east of the Medicine Bow range. We jumped about 3 small gaps in the lenticular but this was accomplished with ease. At this point the cloud finished but there were obvious scattered wave formations in the Laramie valley that could be utilized. But as this was a work day... we made our first turn and headed back to Boulder. I checked the time and 1hr 10 had elapsed since our launch and the thermometer indicated a temperature of -10C.

On turning south we observed a classic wave cloud formation. To the west of the divide was a solid overcast, while in our position about 5 miles east, a solid wave cloud paralleled the divide with bases around 14,000 and tops around 16,000. A scattered secondary wave cloud was to the east of our cloud by about 5 to 10 miles. Mark said that if I could get us back to Boulder safely I would have received sufficient instruction to pass the flying part of my BFR.

I trimmed for about 90 knots and just cruised back on top and on the leading edge of the lenticular. Behind Longs Peak the front of the wave face was vertical and was an estimated 3000 feet higher than any other point. Even at 110 knots strong lift of over 1000 fpm forced me to fly west, for about a mile, to maintain an altitude below 18,000.

We skipped east in a gap in the clouds near Longmont and descended using the sink on the back of the cloud. We arrived back at Boulder in 40 minutes and made the second turn of the XC part of the flight to descend into the pattern. Total flight time including tow, initial climb and some acro was about 2 hours for 160 miles (257 km).

Data logger, boots, gloves and other warm gear kept in the back of the car would make these impromptu wave flights even more pleasurable. - CJB

The movie displays meteorological data captured on this wave flight. You can animate various sets of images or review them on an individual basis. http://24.221.212.92/twp/enter.html

Pilot

Glider

Date

Window Used?

Pedja Bogdanovich

SGS 1-34

2/4/01

Date: 02/04/2001 Aircraft: SGS 1-34, Pilot: Pedja Bogdanovich

Earlier that morning there were some small rotor and lenticular clouds visible, but they disappeared. Much further S, there was a rotor and a lenticular cloud visible, so I knew that the wave was working.

Mike Exner in 08L launched me around noon. We flew through mild turbulence in the rotor. From 11.5kft to 13kft there was turbulent lift. It was workable, but I did not want to release --- since this was my first wave solo wave flight I was cautious and I wanted to tow into the primary. After another patch of turbulence, we got into the primary and I released at 13.8kft. The lift was 4kt and the winds were WNW at ~30kt. I climbed to 17.5kft where the wind was ~50kt. To the the W of the continental divide the cloud cover was solid, but to the E of the continental divide it was blue.

I explored the wave for a while by going back and forth at high speed just to maintain altitude in order to figure where the lift and sink were. I went to Netherland/Eldora. I could see the skiers at Eldora as small dots. Further to the S there was a lenicular cloud.

After that I had some fun spinning 1-34 --- I would climb to 18kft, do a clearing turn, spin down 1-2kft, then climb again. When I had enough of that I headed N.

As I was going N exploring new territories there appeared to be gaps in the lift. Since it was blue, I lost lift a few times and also fell into the up-going part of the rotor a few times. Whenever I found good lift I would punch a waypoint into my Palm Pilot so I could easily find it again if I needed it. With winds at ~50kts from WNW, progress N was slow. Eventually I got a few miles N-ward past Longs Peak. There appeared to be a large gap in the lift N from there, so I headed back S. After some ~15mi I turned back N. Although it was still blue, it was much easier to follow the lift since I now knew where it was. I could fly at 100mph IAS while maintaining altitude.

I flew to ~5nm NE of Longs Peak. From there I flew SW to close over Longs Peak. The view was beautiful. I wish I had remembered to take my camera...

Meanwhile, to the W, the cloud cover became thicker. To the E, rotor clouds and some leticulars became visible. I was monitoring carefully whether clouds to the E were growing. They did not.

Now, with visible rotor and lenticular clouds, it was very easy to maintain position in the best area of lift. The lift also got better. This was ~2.5hrs into the flight. I went back and forth S-N couple of times. The best lift encountered was ~10kt. I saw two jets above me, maybe some 10mi away heading for DIA. I did a few more spins, a few more dives (0G and -G just to find how much dirt
there is in the 1-34 cockpit) and pullups, etc.

Temperature in the cockpit was 5F. My feet were pretty cold with 3 pairs of socks, but wiggling my toes helped. Otherwise, I was not cold.

As I was running low on oxygen, I unwillingly decided to go back. As I did not want to go back through the rotor, I climbed to 17,500kft, and then turned towards 1v5. I had to fly fast to maintain 0 sink. With the tailwind it took no time to get to over Six mile Reservoir. I got there at 17kft. From there I did a clearing turn, and I spun once to 14kft, and then once more (in the other direction) to 12kft. Then paused to get used to how things look at this altitude. Then two more short spins to 8.5kft. After that I flew around to lose altitude, and landed. The winds on the ground were light (~3kt) from NNE.

Between the initial climb and descent back to 1v5, I spent more than 3hrs between 15 and 18kft. According to my GPS, the avg speed was 52kts, and total distance traveled 204nm. The flight was a great learning experience.

In summary: Date: 2-4-2001, Ship: SGS 1-34 (N134BC), Release alt: 13,800 ft
Max alt: 17,500 ft, Time: 3:50

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