Flying IFR in a glider

I am in Twisp, WA right now. Some of my friends got up into a wave and easily made it to 18,000’. There is no wave window right close by.
My question is can someone in a glider get an IFR clearance to go above 180? Assuming they have an Instrument rating and the glider is appropriately equipped.

A controller can't approve such a request without sticking their neck way out.

Get in touch with the facility (Seattle Center?) and work out a window. You can use other LOAs to make a draft. Window should be clear of both low- and high-altitude airways if possible.

wrote on 6/27/2020 4:28 AM:
A controller can't approve such a request without sticking their neck way out.

Get in touch with the facility (Seattle Center?) and work out a window. You can use other LOAs to make a draft. Window should be clear of both low- and high-altitude airways if possible.

Years ago (20?), it was possible to get "individual LOAs" with a Center, that
would allow you to request a block of airspace above 18K. It did not not require
an IFR rating. Sterling Starr had one for the Montana area, and I had one for the
Washington area. I used it so infrequently, I let it lapse. It's a flexible
solution for the individual pilot, if it's still available.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

On Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 4:28:57 AM UTC-7, wrote:
A controller can't approve such a request without sticking their neck way out.

Get in touch with the facility (Seattle Center?) and work out a window. You can use other LOAs to make a draft. Window should be clear of both low- and high-altitude airways if possible.

He would need to contact the Spokane FSDO.

Tom

On Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 7:17:16 AM UTC-6, Eric Greenwell wrote:
wrote on 6/27/2020 4:28 AM:
A controller can't approve such a request without sticking their neck way out.

Get in touch with the facility (Seattle Center?) and work out a window. You can use other LOAs to make a draft. Window should be clear of both low- and high-altitude airways if possible.

Years ago (20?), it was possible to get "individual LOAs" with a Center, that
would allow you to request a block of airspace above 18K. It did not not require
an IFR rating. Sterling Starr had one for the Montana area, and I had one for the
Washington area. I used it so infrequently, I let it lapse. It's a flexible
solution for the individual pilot, if it's still available.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

That's apparently still possible! A friend of mine who flies out of a small airport in CO has a LoA with Denver and he gets regularly cleared to FL230 or FL250. As a commercial airline pilot, he knows of course whom to contact and all the right phraseology.

Uli
'AS'

Never seen a wave LOA that had anything to do with FSDO. ATC and operator are the signatories.

Why would a controller be sticking his neck out? If the glider is IFR equipped (very few are) and the pilot is IFR rated and current, why would an IFR flight not be permitted?

Gordon Boettger has made several long cross country flights in class A
airspace. Here's one:
https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-3....l?dsId=5835349

Also a number of wave XC flights up and down the Owens Valley.
South of Bishop, they have a LOA to use the R2508 restricted area
https://www.edwards.af.mil/About/R-2508/
but to the north they fly with a clearance in class A.
Some of Dennis Tito's flights were like this:
https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-3....t=olc&pi=45222

Tom

Yeah I don’t see any rule against it. I might set up my glider for IFR. Seems like the chances to go above 180 are usually happenstance without a wave window close by.

If you file a flight plan in advance (GLID is the type) to a destination with an enroute delay at an easily-defined location that is clear of established routes, have at it.

The distance flights mentioned were coordinated with ATC in advance.