5,000 FT Roller Coaster in the California Sierras

I recently participated in the annual Soar-in at Lone Pine, CA, which
is hosted by Caracole Soaring every year over Memorial Day weekend.
After spectacular soaring weather and great flights, we punctuated the
weekend with a roller coaster ride from Mount Whitney peak, which is
the highest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,505 FT. I
shot a video of the ride and loaded it on YouTube for anyone that is
interested. It can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjTmNJmJXbk

I did not spend any time editing the sound or content as you will
see. I was really trying to play with HD exporting. The video was
loaded in YouTube's new HD format. If you have the bandwidth, you
can click on the HD icon at the bottom right corner of the video
window. The picture quality is much better in HD. Air brakes were
necessary to match the terrain slope without exceeding VNE, so you may
need to turn your volume down if the gear warning horn gets too
offensive.

-33

On May 31, 9:55*pm, 33 wrote:
I recently participated in the annual Soar-in at Lone Pine, CA, which
is hosted by Caracole Soaring every year over Memorial Day weekend.
After spectacular soaring weather and great flights, we punctuated the
weekend with a roller coaster ride from Mount Whitney peak, which is
the highest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,505 FT. *I
shot a video of the ride and loaded it on YouTube for anyone that is
interested. It can be found at *http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjTmNJmJXbk

I did not spend any time editing the sound or content as you will
see. *I was really trying to play with HD exporting. *The video was
loaded in YouTube's new HD format. *If you have the bandwidth, *you
can click on the HD icon at the bottom right corner of the video
window. *The picture quality is much better in HD. Air brakes were
necessary to match the terrain slope without exceeding VNE, so you may
need to turn your volume down if the gear warning horn gets too
offensive.

-33

WOW!
never done Mt Whitney like that
cool!
Dan
WO

On May 31, 9:55*pm, 33 wrote:
I recently participated in the annual Soar-in at Lone Pine, CA, which
is hosted by Caracole Soaring every year over Memorial Day weekend.
After spectacular soaring weather and great flights, we punctuated the
weekend with a roller coaster ride from Mount Whitney peak, which is
the highest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,505 FT. *I
shot a video of the ride and loaded it on YouTube for anyone that is
interested. It can be found at *http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjTmNJmJXbk

I did not spend any time editing the sound or content as you will
see. *I was really trying to play with HD exporting. *The video was
loaded in YouTube's new HD format. *If you have the bandwidth, *you
can click on the HD icon at the bottom right corner of the video
window. *The picture quality is much better in HD. Air brakes were
necessary to match the terrain slope without exceeding VNE, so you may
need to turn your volume down if the gear warning horn gets too
offensive.

-33

Cool- Air-ajavo bobsledding!

-P

On May 31, 11:55*pm, 33 wrote:
I recently participated in the annual Soar-in at Lone Pine, CA, which
is hosted by Caracole Soaring every year over Memorial Day weekend.
After spectacular soaring weather and great flights, we punctuated the
weekend with a roller coaster ride from Mount Whitney peak, which is
the highest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,505 FT. *I
shot a video of the ride and loaded it on YouTube for anyone that is
interested. It can be found at *http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjTmNJmJXbk

I did not spend any time editing the sound or content as you will
see. *I was really trying to play with HD exporting. *The video was
loaded in YouTube's new HD format. *If you have the bandwidth, *you
can click on the HD icon at the bottom right corner of the video
window. *The picture quality is much better in HD. Air brakes were
necessary to match the terrain slope without exceeding VNE, so you may
need to turn your volume down if the gear warning horn gets too
offensive.

-33

Wow that is pretty nifty! Just one question though. Why did you keep
pulling the airbrakes out? Were you approacing Vne, or were you simply
not low enough to the terrain? :-)

Pete

My guess is that he could not descend as fast as the terrain did without
going through Vne.


"vontresc" wrote in message
...
On May 31, 11:55 pm, 33 wrote:
I recently participated in the annual Soar-in at Lone Pine, CA, which
is hosted by Caracole Soaring every year over Memorial Day weekend.
After spectacular soaring weather and great flights, we punctuated the
weekend with a roller coaster ride from Mount Whitney peak, which is
the highest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,505 FT. I
shot a video of the ride and loaded it on YouTube for anyone that is
interested. It can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjTmNJmJXbk

I did not spend any time editing the sound or content as you will
see. I was really trying to play with HD exporting. The video was
loaded in YouTube's new HD format. If you have the bandwidth, you
can click on the HD icon at the bottom right corner of the video
window. The picture quality is much better in HD. Air brakes were
necessary to match the terrain slope without exceeding VNE, so you may
need to turn your volume down if the gear warning horn gets too
offensive.

-33

Wow that is pretty nifty! Just one question though. Why did you keep
pulling the airbrakes out? Were you approacing Vne, or were you simply
not low enough to the terrain? :-)

Pete

Some day we will be able to read about "another beautiful white glider"
found in pieces on the side of a mountain.

"BT" wrote in message
...
My guess is that he could not descend as fast as the terrain did without
going through Vne.


"vontresc" wrote in message
...
On May 31, 11:55 pm, 33 wrote:
I recently participated in the annual Soar-in at Lone Pine, CA, which
is hosted by Caracole Soaring every year over Memorial Day weekend.
After spectacular soaring weather and great flights, we punctuated the
weekend with a roller coaster ride from Mount Whitney peak, which is
the highest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,505 FT. I
shot a video of the ride and loaded it on YouTube for anyone that is
interested. It can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjTmNJmJXbk

I did not spend any time editing the sound or content as you will
see. I was really trying to play with HD exporting. The video was
loaded in YouTube's new HD format. If you have the bandwidth, you
can click on the HD icon at the bottom right corner of the video
window. The picture quality is much better in HD. Air brakes were
necessary to match the terrain slope without exceeding VNE, so you may
need to turn your volume down if the gear warning horn gets too
offensive.

-33

Wow that is pretty nifty! Just one question though. Why did you keep
pulling the airbrakes out? Were you approacing Vne, or were you simply
not low enough to the terrain? :-)

Pete

On Jun 1, 7:37*pm, "Fred Blair"
wrote:
Some day we will be able to read about "another beautiful white glider"
found in pieces on the side of a mountain.

"BT" wrote in message

...



My guess is that he could not descend as fast as the terrain did without
going through Vne.

"vontresc" wrote in message
....
On May 31, 11:55 pm, 33 wrote:
I recently participated in the annual Soar-in at Lone Pine, CA, which
is hosted by Caracole Soaring every year over Memorial Day weekend.
After spectacular soaring weather and great flights, we punctuated the
weekend with a roller coaster ride from Mount Whitney peak, which is
the highest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,505 FT. I
shot a video of the ride and loaded it on YouTube for anyone that is
interested. It can be found athttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjTmNJmJXbk

I did not spend any time editing the sound or content as you will
see. I was really trying to play with HD exporting. The video was
loaded in YouTube's new HD format. If you have the bandwidth, you
can click on the HD icon at the bottom right corner of the video
window. The picture quality is much better in HD. Air brakes were
necessary to match the terrain slope without exceeding VNE, so you may
need to turn your volume down if the gear warning horn gets too
offensive.

-33

Wow that is pretty nifty! Just one question though. Why did you keep
pulling the airbrakes out? Were you approacing Vne, or were you simply
not low enough to the terrain? :-)

Pete

I should have added a disclaimer to the video to be clear that flying
in the mountains and close to terra firma is not for everyone. As Co-
Pilot and I think the pilot would agree, flying close to the terrain
can be dangerous and should only be performed with adequate separation
according to personal safety margins.

On Jun 1, 5:04*pm, "BT" wrote:
My guess is that he could not descend as fast as the terrain did without
going through Vne.

"vontresc" wrote in message

...
On May 31, 11:55 pm, 33 wrote:





I recently participated in the annual Soar-in at Lone Pine, CA, which
is hosted by Caracole Soaring every year over Memorial Day weekend.
After spectacular soaring weather and great flights, we punctuated the
weekend with a roller coaster ride from Mount Whitney peak, which is
the highest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,505 FT. I
shot a video of the ride and loaded it on YouTube for anyone that is
interested. It can be found athttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjTmNJmJXbk

I did not spend any time editing the sound or content as you will
see. I was really trying to play with HD exporting. The video was
loaded in YouTube's new HD format. If you have the bandwidth, you
can click on the HD icon at the bottom right corner of the video
window. The picture quality is much better in HD. Air brakes were
necessary to match the terrain slope without exceeding VNE, so you may
need to turn your volume down if the gear warning horn gets too
offensive.

-33

Wow that is pretty nifty! Just one question though. Why did you keep
pulling the airbrakes out? Were you approacing Vne, or were you simply
not low enough to the terrain? :-)

Pete

Yes--Matching terrain slope without exceeding VNE required air
brakes. Putting the wheel down would have eliminated the horrible
noise.

Of course this was after your run up to Schulman Grove last Monday.
Cool. So now I know why I heard: "Duo, Whitney, 14,000" and not long
afterwards: "Duo, Whitney Portal, 9000."
(then not long after that: "Duo, south of Lone Pine, 6000")
At least the lift was decent under the OD by Cerro Gordo and we all
got home.
Jim

Way below my minimums...

mj