Diamond Altitude via thermal in the US?

[Gary Emerson]

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

[Shawn]

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

[Marc Ramsey]

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

[Stefan]

> 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

[Bill Daniels]

"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

[M B]

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

[[email protected]]

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

[Gary Evans]

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
>
>

[Brian Iten]

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

[2cernauta2]

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

[clydebh]

It has been done in thew Eastern US by a number of pilots, including
myself, from the airport at Marion, NC, using thermals off the
foothills of the Smokies to link up with the wave from Mt. Mitchell.
There were numerous wave camps there during the 1970s and 1980s.

ClydeBH

[[email protected]]

I'm reminded I did this some years back after damn near
landing at Furnace Creek (Death Valley). I thought I had
a trace below sea-level but when I checked it I was slightly
above. Cloudbases down towards Las Vegas were at 18k.
It would make a better story if it was intentional !
Best Regards, Dave "YO"

PS: Do NOT try soaring in the Saline Valley.

Gary Evans wrote:
> 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

[M B]

Furnace creek! Hehehe. 210 below sea level. I played
golf there once. The coyotes were fighting the rattlesnakes
for shade. I looked like a wet tea bag from the sweat.

YO! Good for you getting back up and away from there
:)

At 01:12 22 July 2005, wrote:
>I'm reminded I did this some years back after damn
>near
>landing at Furnace Creek (Death Valley). I thought
>I had
>a trace below sea-level but when I checked it I was
>slightly
>above. Cloudbases down towards Las Vegas were at 18k.
>It would make a better story if it was intentional
>!
>Best Regards, Dave 'YO'
>
>PS: Do NOT try soaring in the Saline Valley.
>
>Gary Evans wrote:
>> 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
>
>
Mark J. Boyd