Glare from solar power plant: Hazard?

Pilawt

Pilawt

Final Approach
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Pilawt
"Airplane pilots hit by ‘nearly blinding’ glare from massive Calif. solar facility"

This is next to I-15, just south of the California-Nevada border, about 35 NM south of KLAS. I flew over this thing last October, before it was fully operational. The one section where heliostats were operating did put out a pretty impressive glare, even from a long distance. I was at 7500' MSL, a little less than 5,000' AGL.

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I imagine it's not much worse than a low sun on a Winter day. Flying West towards a busy airport I was tempted to ask for a special VFR clearance to land because even with the sun visor and sunglasses I could not honestly expect to pick out traffic or a radio tower until I hit it.

Plus, this should be transient as after you fly away from the focal point (the tower) the mirrors wont reflect the sun back at you. So, I guess just avoid flying directly towards the facility when possible. Also, night works too.

Very interesting problem, though. I guess the engineers never saw the movie Sahara when they were designing the place or they figured it wouldn't be that bad.
 
Hmmm, we flew over this only a few days ago and were discussing what they might be. Those lights are incredibly bright, even from FL400. They were mostly out the other side of the airplane from where I was sitting but my flying buddy said it seemed like they were tracking us. Usually a reflection will diminish when you change your angular relationship to the sun, but these didn't.
 
Everskyward said:
Hmmm, we flew over this only a few days ago and were discussing what they might be. Those lights are incredibly bright, even from FL400. They were mostly out the other side of the airplane from where I was sitting but my flying buddy said it seemed like they were tracking us. Usually a reflection will diminish when you change your angular relationship to the sun, but these didn't.
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There are thousands of mirrors all pointed at the focal point on the tower...

As you pass over, different mirrors will illuminate your plane and it will look like you are being tracked... IMHO
 
N801BH said:
There are thousands of mirrors all pointed at the focal point on the tower...

As you pass over, different mirrors will illuminate your plane and it will look like you are being tracked... IMHO
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Yeah, I knew we weren't actually being tracked, we aren't that important. :rofl:

But, I've never seen anything like that before. Pretty sure it would blind you momentarily you if you looked at the lights directly.
 
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Considering the main sources - WSJ and Fox News well, we know how they do so hate solar power but it's interesting to note their new found concern for frogs and birds...:rolleyes:
 
Silvaire said:
Considering the main sources - WSJ and Fox News well, we know how they do so hate solar power but it's interesting to note their new found concern for frogs and birds...:rolleyes:
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So - your objection is not with the material aspects of the articles, which seem pretty accurate to me, but you object to the source being something other than far left? And - we get a no-charge rolleyes with it?

sigh,,,,,,
 
No actually I have no objections to anything, just making an observation. Don't take it personal.
 
Silvaire said:
No actually I have no objections to anything, just making an observation. Don't take it personal.
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Suuuuuuuure. We believe you. BTW, your post broke my sarcasmeter, I need a new one.
 
Silvaire said:
Considering the main sources - WSJ and Fox News well, we know how they do so hate solar power but it's interesting to note their new found concern for frogs and birds...:rolleyes:
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It is remarkable that wind and solar energy projects get approved with hardly any environmental delays, despite killing eagles by the hundreds, yet environmental "studies" can delay power plants, coal mines, and pipelines for decades. :rolleyes:
 
From ground level at the Jean Airport, ~15nm north, the towers are very bright.

There is a HUGE array being built NW of Tonopah NV.

Us glider pilots are interested to see what type thermals come off those arrays.
 
BillTIZ said:
From ground level at the Jean Airport, ~15nm north, the towers are very bright.

There is a HUGE array being built NW of Tonopah NV.

Us glider pilots are interested to see what type thermals come off those arrays.
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You do remember what happened to the LAST glider who loitered over a power plant..:rolleyes:......:D
 
Flew past them a little over a year ago when they were still under construction. They're pretty darn impressive looking, gotta admit that.

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Back in the 60's my brothers built a parabolic solar hot dog cooker out of cardboard and tin foil for a science class project that pretty much looked exactly like one of those plants and it worked. Kind of big though, Dad finally told them to get rid of the darn thing because it took up too much room in the garage and we didn't really eat that many hot dogs anyway.
 
Will angry birds start pooping on the mirrors? Or are they preoccupied with their war against the pigs?
 
nddons said:
It is remarkable that wind and solar energy projects get approved with hardly any environmental delays, despite killing eagles by the hundreds, yet environmental "studies" can delay power plants, coal mines, and pipelines for decades. :rolleyes:
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Suppose politics is involved? :D (sarcasm intended) :yes:
 
Wait a minute... I've seen that before:

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