On Jan 2, 10:46*am, kd6veb wrote:
Hi Gang
* *Yesterday I was to cross the Sierras and fly to the Bay Area in my
Jabiru J250 light sport aircraft (LSA). Cap clouds were beginning to
build up over the peaks in anticipation of a storm and this would be
the only chance for this flight for a couple of days. Looking west
across the Central Valley of California from the crest of the Sierras
there was a low ugly brown opaque fog layer for 70 miles obliterating
views of the ground. An engine out would probably have been a
disaster. So I did the only prudent thing and that was a 180 degree
turn back to Minden. Now the clouds were beginning to look
interesting. Cap clouds and small lennies over the Sierra, then a blue
gap on the lee side of the mountains and finally roll clouds with high
lennies above - indicative of good wave.So with nothing better to do I
went for it.
* At 12k msl at the windward edge of the roll clouds I cut power to
just above idle, dropped the IAS to between 60 and 65 knots for
minimum sink with about 7 degrees of flaps and there I was a near
equivalent to a glider. In about 20 minutes I was at 17.9k msl. Lift
was still about 300 feet per minute with the engine a little above
idle. The engine was still running smoothly even though it has a Bing
carb with no mixture control. My feet were toasty warm because of the
heater and I was comfortable, in fact more so than in the SparrowHawk
where I would be cold which makes me want to pee often. This was
luxury!
* So will I do this again? You bet! I will add another EDS oxygen
system so I can take a passenger. Also I intend, when the wave window
is open, to explore altitudes above 18k up to say 25k. Sometimes it
pays to just think outside the box and do new things!
Dave

My Friend Ron soared Glacier Peak in Washington State a few years ago
in his Piper Colt. He did basically the same thing you did. They flew
to the LE of the lennie, chopped power and gained several thousand
feet at idle.

Then last year got a chance to soar the mountain again with several
other pilots in their sailplanes.

Brad