Presentation by Jim Payne at the February, 2012 Soaring Society of America (SSA) convention in Reno, Nevada. Jim explains the hazards of mountain wave flying, equipment required, and how to adequately prepare and plan long cross country flights in mountain wave conditions, specifically in the Sierras. He describes and illustrates some of his record flights in the Sierras.

1. Long XC in Wave
Lake
Crowley
Jim Payne
©Jim Payne 2012

2. Soaring Long XC in Wave
• Weather
• Safety
• Planning
• OLC Rules
• OLC 2.0: 5 Years of Awesome Soaring

3. What is Wave Lift?
LENTICULARS
WIND
ROLL CLOUD
MOUNTAINS

4. The Perfect Sierra Wave Forecast

7. Rosamond 01/21/03

10. Safety: The Major Hazards
• Pilot Incapacitation from Hypoxia
• Pilot Incapacitation from Thermal Stress (cold)
• Pilot Incapacitation due to Broken/Lost Canopy
• Pilot Incapacitation due to Dehydration
• Structural Failure due to Flutter
• Structural Failure due to Turbulence
• Structural Failure due to Mid-Air Collision
• Structural Failure due to Loss of Control in Clouds
• Landing Mishap due to Strong Sink
• Landing Mishap due to Strong Surface Winds
• Crew Stress due to Lost Communications

11. Safety: Pilot Incapacitation
• Hypoxia
Use an oximeter
(as cheap as $19.99
on Amazon.com)

12. Safety: Pilot Incapacitation
• Thermal Stress (cold)
Boots w/ 400 gram of insulation,
electric insole, 18-hr pads

13. Safety: Pilot Incapacitation
• Broken/Lost Canopy
No hat buttons

14. Safety: Pilot Incapacitation
• Dehydration
Flights in cold weather are insidious
Camelback

15. Safety: Structural Failure
• Flutter
VNE table

16. Safety: Structural Failure
• Turbulence
Rough air redline

17. Safety: Structural Failure
• Mid-Air Collision
PowerFLARM
Even with flight following saw Marty with no call out

18. Safety: Structural Failure
• Loss of Control in Clouds

19. Safety: Landing Mishap
• Strong Sink

20. Safety: Landing Mishap
• Strong Surface Winds
Must be able to land in big crosswind
In SoCal can often soar to airports with less wind

21. Safety: Crew Stress
• Lost Communications
Sat phone
SPOT with Text

22. Planning
• Know Sailplane and Instruments: Practice
• Be Proficient: Fly During Off Season
• Know Area: Study Maps and OLC Flight Logs
• Study Weather: Compare Forecast to Actual
• Know the Rules: OLC and FAI Rules are Different
• Create Tasks: Think Lines of Lift

23. OLC Rules 2007 thru 2010
• Each Flight Scored for Distance
– 6 Legs (5 Turnpoints)
– Leg 5 devalued 20%, Leg 6 devalued 40%
– Handicapped based on Sailplane Performance
• Best 6 Flights Count
• Last day to score is 2nd Monday in October

24. The Speed OLC Rules
• Each Flight Scored for Speed
– Best 2.5 Hours
– 4 Legs (Up 3 Turnpoints from OLC Route)
– Finish Height ≥ Start Height
– Handicapped based on Sailplane Performance
• Best 6 Flights Count
• Same Period

25. 2011 Rule Changes
• OLC Plus
– Scoring Change
• No devaluation of 5th and 6th legs (10% gain on 6 equal legs)
• Adds 30% bonus for FAI Triangle (25%/45% if over 500 km)
• OLC Speed
– Must start within 15 km of launch point
• Claim
– Must be within 48 hours

26. 2007
1,446 km 1,457 km

27. 2008
Thermal to Wave
March 30

28. 1,795 km
April 19

30. JP’s 2008
• Top six flights totaled
9,170 kilometers (5,697 miles)
• Average of 1,528 km (949 miles) per flight
• Longest flight was 1,795 km (1,115 miles)

31. The 2009 Aerokurier OLC
Year of the SparrowHawk

34. So far this wave season has not been
near a good as last season. So, even
though the forecast was for less than
optimum wave, I went for it. The winds
were more southwesterly than desired
so it was best between CinderCone
and Big Pine. Other places I found all
kinds of traps. There were more wave
clouds than normal and not all of them
were honest which caused me to be
faked out a couple of times. The 3rd
trip north was aborted due to sink and
turbulence at a line of cloud jutting out
from the Sierra. Getting home from 1,259km
Inyokern was a challenge due to a 45 156 kph
to 50 knot quartering headwind. This April 24
was my 5th flight and 1st cross country SparrowHawk
in a SparrowHawk. Thank you, Greg
Cole, for loaning me the SparrowHawk
... for its wing loading it performs very
well and it has great flying qualities ...
plus a "sweet" handicap. Thank you,
Jackie, for the retrieve.

36. JP’s 2009
Ultralight World Records
1,002.10 km Free 3 Turn Point Distance
91.95 kph 500 km O&R Speed
622.44 km O&R Distance
632.33 km Free O&R Distance
103.3 kph 500 km Triangle Speed
507.3 km Triangle Distance
527.3 km Free Triangle Distance

37. 2010
1,652 km
June 10
ASH-25

38. 2011
2,180.3 km
Apr 28
ASH-25

40. 2011
2011 Apr 28 10:58

41. 2011 Apr 28 10:59

42. 2011 Apr 28 10:59

43. 2011 Apr 28 13:32

44. 2011 Apr 28 13:32

45. 2011 Apr 28 15:30

46. 2011 Apr 28 15:30

47. 2011 Apr 28 17:14

48. 2011 Apr 28 17:14

49. 2011 Apr 28 17:32

50. 2011 Apr 28 17:34

51. 2011 Apr 28 18:53

52. 2011 June 04

53. Sunrise 05:39
2011 Jun 04 05:29

54. 05:48

55. 06:27

56. 06:28

57. 06:42

58. 06:42

59. 07:42

60. 07:42
16,300

61. 08:39

62. 08:32

63. 08:35

64. 08:44

65. 08:44

66. 08:50

67. 08:50

68. 08:50

69. 08:58

70. 08:58

71. 10:22

72. 10:22

73. 10:22

74. 11:04
14,500

75. 13:03
15,300

76. 13:03

77. 13:17

78. 13:17

79. 15:09
15,850

80. 17:08
11,000

81. 17:08

82. 17:08

83. 17:43

84. 17:43

85. 19:07
10,900

86. 19:07

87. 19:07

88. Sunset 19:55
19:44

91. OLC “Secrets”
1. Location, Location, Location
2. Learn The Weather
3. Start As Early As Possible
4. Maximize The First Four Legs
5. Soar Until Sunset

92. Thank Yous
• Contest: Aerokurier, the OLC Staff , & the SSA
• Weather: Doug Armstrong & Dr Jack Glendening
• Sailplanes: Greg Cole, Bob Ettinger
• Tows: Bill Francis
• Flying Partners: Tom Payne, Dennis Tito
• Everything: Jackie