Gliders and IFR clearance

bikert

bikert

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bikert
How does that work? Do you request a block altitude and request deviations? Whenever I read about about someone soaring above FL180 I wonder about that. Also I recently saw a picture of a glider definitely not following the VFR cloud clearance requirements and that made me wonder about how that is done.
 
There are some motor gliders rated for IFR I believe, but there's also "wave windows" with LOAs from ATC that may or may not waive some of the cloud clearance requirements if they're active. Usually they're used to be above FL180 more than for cloud clearance, but that all depends on what is written in the letter.
 
For wave flights there are "wave windows " with a LOA. An agreed upon geographical block where wave normally occurs. A pilot requesting into the window above FL180 will call a ground rep who will call ATC and request up to an altitude. That will be relayed to the pilot, cleared up to FL250 until xxxxZ time, report leaving FL180 on descent.

A transponder in the glider helps.
Procedure may vary by location but will be specified in the LOA which all users must acknowledge.

Even in wave a steady altitude may not be possible.
 
I wonder if a glider has ever gotten an IFR clearance to fly through actual IMC?
 
I can just imagine... "Glider 123 Romeo Alpha, Hold North OMN VOR, 360 radial, EFC 1200 Zulu"

But seriously, I never expected gliders and IMC to mix. I'm guessing it would only apply to motorized ones like denverpilot was saying.
 
When I instructed in gliders in Eastern WA (really called sailplanes) we often had thermal conditions where going into class A airspace was quite common. We would contact ATC & get a block of airspace within a specific geographic area.

I remember once ATC advising a DC-6 that he had a glider above him at FL190. The forest service DC-6 pilot was astonished at the time. It was cool seeing it fly underneath us.

Yes, we carried oxygen.

I never went IMC in a glider on purpose. I did get too close to a CB a few times & was in IMC for a few seconds. The lift near a CB is incredible!
 
luvflyin said:
If it wasn't a Space Shuttle, then when and where was it? What were the circumstances?
Click to expand...
IFR rated pilots in a glider with adequate instrumentation making cross country flights that involve flying in cloud with a block altitude clearance. I don't have a specific reference off the top of my head, but more than a few record attempt flights have involved flying in IMC and/or class A without the wave window that is used for VFR rated pilots.
 
Not speaking from personal experience (too new), I am sure there are glider pilots flying wave who request popup IFR descent clearance after being caught above a solid cloud deck. I know of some who have done it without a clearance, or by punching through a small hole (which is not much safer collision-wise), so I would hope there are others who do ask for permission, and I doubt they'd be refused by ATC.
 
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