Boettger Distance Record Attempt Saturday Mar 29

On Saturday March 29 I will be making another distance record attempt along with Hugh Bennett in the Duo Discus sailplane. Our intention is to be towed up by a towplane shortly before sunrise from the Minden Tahoe airport NV (KMEV), release and head in the direction of Rapid City, SD (KRAP), landing near sunset after flying over 850 miles. If we can go beyond that, we obviously will. As most know, we will be making this attempt in an unmotorized sailplane utilizing mountain wave updrafts to stay aloft. The weather is favorable for this intended direction, however excessive moisture is a concern and things can change rapidly. If the flight is aborted, Walt Rogers will post on his twitter account (below). We intend to climb up to 28,000 feet before proceeding east. As most know, there's no way to tell how far we end up going. It will depend on what the weather allows. It will be cold as the cockpit is unheated and unpressurized. There are too many factors involved to tell how far we end up, which also makes it quite fun to watch from the sidelines on the ground. Our call sign for the flight will be N55LK.

We will also be posting live pictures and video feed (workload permitting) and be in satellite communication with Walt Rogers, our meteorologist and dispatcher. You can follow his excellent twitter feeds with weather updates and our progress and inflight pictures by going to:

https://twitter.com/wrogerswx

You can join us during the flight by following our track which gives position, altitude, speed, and heading. Updates occur every 5 minutes. Click on the blue dots to see our position, speed, altitude, and heading. Click on the following link to access the site on Saturday, 3/29:

https://share.delorme.com/GordonBoettger

Also, we can be tracked on:

www.flightaware.com (not as precise)

One can also follow our live communications with Air Traffic Control by going to:

http://www.liveatc.net (I believe our first frequency will be Norcal Approach on 119.2 and then for OAK center 127.95 or 134.45)

My goal is to share this wonderful adventure and beauty of unpowered flight with the rest of the world. Without being in the cockpit, this is the best way we know how to share it. Feel free to share this with your friends.
Enjoy the ride,

Gordon Boettger
N55LK

On Friday, March 28, 2014 4:51:50 PM UTC-7, WaltWX wrote:
On Saturday March 29 I will be making another distance record attempt along with Hugh Bennett in the Duo Discus sailplane. Our intention is to be towed up by a towplane shortly before sunrise from the Minden Tahoe airport NV (KMEV), release and head in the direction of Rapid City, SD (KRAP), landing near sunset after flying over 850 miles. If we can go beyond that, we obviously will. As most know, we will be making this attempt in an unmotorized sailplane utilizing mountain wave updrafts to stay aloft. The weather is favorable for this intended direction, however excessive moisture is a concern and things can change rapidly. If the flight is aborted, Walt Rogers will post on his twitter account (below). We intend to climb up to 28,000 feet before proceeding east. As most know, there's no way to tell how far we end up going. It will depend on what the weather allows. It will be cold as the cockpit is unheated and unpressurized. There are too many factors involved to tell how far we end up, which also makes it quite fun to watch from the sidelines on the ground. Our call sign for the flight will be N55LK. We will also be posting live pictures and video feed (workload permitting) and be in satellite communication with Walt Rogers, our meteorologist and dispatcher. You can follow his excellent twitter feeds with weather updates and our progress and inflight pictures by going to: https://twitter.com/wrogerswx You can join us during the flight by following our track which gives position, altitude, speed, and heading. Updates occur every 5 minutes. Click on the blue dots to see our position, speed, altitude, and heading. Click on the following link to access the site on Saturday, 3/29: https://share.delorme.com/GordonBoettger Also, we can be tracked on: www.flightaware.com (not as precise) One can also follow our live communications with Air Traffic Control by going to: http://www.liveatc.net (I believe our first frequency will be Norcal Approach on 119.2 and then for OAK center 127.95 or 134.45) My goal is to share this wonderful adventure and beauty of unpowered flight with the rest of the world. Without being in the cockpit, this is the best way we know how to share it. Feel free to share this with your friends. Enjoy the ride, Gordon Boettger N55LK

Have a good trip. I know I won't be getting much done tomorrow.

Go man go!

On Friday, March 28, 2014 8:38:47 PM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
Go man go!

They are on their way, East of Reno, 26,000' and 160 mph ground speed!
Good luck!

On Friday, March 28, 2014 5:51:50 PM UTC-6, WaltWX wrote:
On Saturday March 29 I will be making another distance record attempt along with Hugh Bennett in the Duo Discus sailplane. Our intention is to be towed up by a towplane shortly before sunrise from the Minden Tahoe airport NV (KMEV), release and head in the direction of Rapid City, SD (KRAP), landing near sunset after flying over 850 miles. If we can go beyond that, we obviously will. As most know, we will be making this attempt in an unmotorized sailplane utilizing mountain wave updrafts to stay aloft. The weather is favorable for this intended direction, however excessive moisture is a concern and things can change rapidly. If the flight is aborted, Walt Rogers will post on his twitter account (below). We intend to climb up to 28,000 feet before proceeding east. As most know, there's no way to tell how far we end up going. It will depend on what the weather allows. It will be cold as the cockpit is unheated and unpressurized. There are too many factors involved to tell how far we end up, which also makes it quite fun to watch from the sidelines on the ground. Our call sign for the flight will be N55LK.



We will also be posting live pictures and video feed (workload permitting) and be in satellite communication with Walt Rogers, our meteorologist and dispatcher. You can follow his excellent twitter feeds with weather updates and our progress and inflight pictures by going to:



https://twitter.com/wrogerswx



You can join us during the flight by following our track which gives position, altitude, speed, and heading. Updates occur every 5 minutes. Click on the blue dots to see our position, speed, altitude, and heading. Click on the following link to access the site on Saturday, 3/29:



https://share.delorme.com/GordonBoettger



Also, we can be tracked on:



www.flightaware.com (not as precise)



One can also follow our live communications with Air Traffic Control by going to:



http://www.liveatc.net (I believe our first frequency will be Norcal Approach on 119.2 and then for OAK center 127.95 or 134.45)



My goal is to share this wonderful adventure and beauty of unpowered flight with the rest of the world. Without being in the cockpit, this is the best way we know how to share it. Feel free to share this with your friends.

Enjoy the ride,



Gordon Boettger

N55LK

Also tracking with visual weather on the SSA Sailplane Tracker and Glideport.

http://www.goes.noaa.gov/WCIR4.html

Link to the current satellite image for the west

That is one big cold front those guys are surfing!

Hope he makes his goal!

On Friday, March 28, 2014 7:51:50 PM UTC-4, WaltWX wrote:
On Saturday March 29 I will be making another distance record attempt along with Hugh Bennett in the Duo Discus sailplane. Our intention is to be towed up by a towplane shortly before sunrise from the Minden Tahoe airport NV (KMEV), release and head in the direction of Rapid City, SD (KRAP), landing near sunset after flying over 850 miles. If we can go beyond that, we obviously will. As most know, we will be making this attempt in an unmotorized sailplane utilizing mountain wave updrafts to stay aloft. The weather is favorable for this intended direction, however excessive moisture is a concern and things can change rapidly. If the flight is aborted, Walt Rogers will post on his twitter account (below). We intend to climb up to 28,000 feet before proceeding east. As most know, there's no way to tell how far we end up going. It will depend on what the weather allows. It will be cold as the cockpit is unheated and unpressurized. There are too many factors involved to tell how far we end up, which also makes it quite fun to watch from the sidelines on the ground. Our call sign for the flight will be N55LK.



We will also be posting live pictures and video feed (workload permitting) and be in satellite communication with Walt Rogers, our meteorologist and dispatcher. You can follow his excellent twitter feeds with weather updates and our progress and inflight pictures by going to:



https://twitter.com/wrogerswx



You can join us during the flight by following our track which gives position, altitude, speed, and heading. Updates occur every 5 minutes. Click on the blue dots to see our position, speed, altitude, and heading. Click on the following link to access the site on Saturday, 3/29:



https://share.delorme.com/GordonBoettger



Also, we can be tracked on:



www.flightaware.com (not as precise)



One can also follow our live communications with Air Traffic Control by going to:



http://www.liveatc.net (I believe our first frequency will be Norcal Approach on 119.2 and then for OAK center 127.95 or 134.45)



My goal is to share this wonderful adventure and beauty of unpowered flight with the rest of the world. Without being in the cockpit, this is the best way we know how to share it. Feel free to share this with your friends.

Enjoy the ride,



Gordon Boettger

N55LK

On Friday, March 28, 2014 4:51:50 PM UTC-7, WaltWX wrote:
On Saturday March 29 I will be making another distance record attempt along with Hugh Bennett in the Duo Discus sailplane. Our intention is to be towed up ....

FlightAware tracking includes data and graphs for quick peeks - might even get something else done today.

Looks like over half way to SLC... Last dot on DeLORME says 159.6 MPH!

http://www.aviationweather.gov/adds/winds

Link to current forecast winds aloft