HL Falbaum wrote:
If I recall correctly, the collision was at 16,000 MSL, and the glider was
thermaling. So he was not in Class A airspace, and perhaps had no intention
of so doing. I'm not sure he was in the Minden wave window area either.
So this new agreement would not have changed this accident. Visual
separation is inadequate for those pilots not used to looking for gliders.

IIRC, changes to the Minden Wave Window LOA were in the process of
negotiation when the collision occurred, which caused it be placed on
the back burner. After the NTSB finished up and left, the negotiations
restarted.

The following is random recollection from various email conversations
that passed through my inbox, please do not assume 100% correctness.
Apparently, Reno ATC was apparently not happy with the outcome of the
NTSB discussions, so they started playing hard ball with the 1000 ft or
so of airspace they control from FL 180 up to that controlled by Oakland
Center. They ended up demanding a transponder to pass through that
airspace, or they would refuse to sign off on the LOA.

Bottom line, this is local politics, it has nothing to do with wave
windows elsewhere in the US...

Marc