Night Flights

"Gary Boggs" wrote in message
...
I know there are sailplanes around the world that are equipped with lights
but I've never read about any night time soaring, are there any stories
out
there?

I'm refurbishing an SGS 2-32 and I'm going to install nav lights on it so
that I don't have to come down late in the day, just as the wave is
getting
better and better. Every month last spring we had beautiful, smooth
lenticular clouds, lit up all night by a gorgeous full moon. Are there
any
accounts of any night wave soaring?

Gary Boggs



The NCAR 2-32 (Now operated by the Soaring Society of Boulder) is rigged
with running lights and, I believe, was flown in night waves. Somebody here
probably has some details.

The rec.aviation.homebuilt group has had a running discussion of using
"ultra-bright" LED's as running lights to conserve battery power. Still on
the LED subject, there are such things as "Paving Brick" LED runway edge
lights that contain solar panels and a battery. They charge enough during
the day to run the LED's all night. These might be useful if you intend to
land on a glider runway at night. A VASI - like glide path lighting system
might be useful too.

Bill Daniels

Bill Daniels wrote:

...if you intend to land on
a glider runway at night...
[a] VASI-like glide path lighting system
might be useful....


Maybe not.

If somebody prangs because the (the lawyers claim) your VASI was all
wrong for the actual wind conditions, it could be a big liability problem.


Jack

"Jack" wrote in message
. com...
Bill Daniels wrote:

...if you intend to land on
a glider runway at night...
[a] VASI-like glide path lighting system
might be useful....


Maybe not.

If somebody prangs because the (the lawyers claim) your VASI was all
wrong for the actual wind conditions, it could be a big liability problem.


Jack

Somebody? I wouldn't turn the damn thing on unless I was landing.

Bill Daniels