Wave Action

Lance F

Lance F

En-Route
PoA Supporter
Joined
Apr 9, 2005
Messages
3,038
Location
GA
Display Name
Lance F
Home Airfield
KCVC
Flew from Atlanta to Allentown, PA this afternoon.(http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N57039)
Winds were 30+ kts at all altitudes out of the west. This route parallels the mountains and ridges pretty much the whole way. I expected and got mountain wave at 9,000'. To hold altitude my ground speeds varied from 116 to 184 kts. Any soaring pilot knows you should speed up in sink and slow down in lift. Unfortunately if you have to maintain altitude, you must do exactly the opposite. Very frustrating. It was smooth all the way, so I was definitely in wave. No rotor turbulence.

It was severe clear with no cloud markers. Overall a nice flight. This is the kind of day when soaring distance/speed records are set.
 
It's fun when you can surf the waves without the rotor turbulence. I had a smooth surf ride crossing the Sangre de Cristo range in southern Colorado a couple years ago. It was fun to watch my autopilot cope with the wave action, and to watch the nose of my airplane go up and down to hold airspeed.
 
My fiance's from ABE. Flown out of XLL a few times. Beautiful day out in ATL.
 
Why did you have to maintain altitude?

SOP is to request a block altitude when encountering mountain waves. Tell Center why.
 
MAKG1 said:
Why did you have to maintain altitude?

SOP is to request a block altitude when encountering mountain waves. Tell Center why.
Click to expand...
While you CAN do that, I wouldn't say it was SOP. Imagine if everyone in the area asked for a block altitude.
 
I thought about asking for a block. My thinking was more like Everskyward's though. When you're in the system, I think you should play by the system rules. This was no emergency. I could hold altitude and did. I turned off my altitude hold and hand flew the pitch to save my autopilot servos. The trim wheel got a workout.
 
When I did it there was basically no one in the area and the controller gave me whatever I wanted. The only other people flying in that area were airliners, and they were not hanging out at 6-10K feet.
 
Lance F said:
Flew from Atlanta to Allentown, PA this afternoon.(http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N57039)
Winds were 30+ kts at all altitudes out of the west. This route parallels the mountains and ridges pretty much the whole way. I expected and got mountain wave at 9,000'. To hold altitude my ground speeds varied from 116 to 184 kts. Any soaring pilot knows you should speed up in sink and slow down in lift. Unfortunately if you have to maintain altitude, you must do exactly the opposite. Very frustrating. It was smooth all the way, so I was definitely in wave. No rotor turbulence.

It was severe clear with no cloud markers. Overall a nice flight. This is the kind of day when soaring distance/speed records are set.
Click to expand...

I've had that problem with thermals in powered flight. Did not have the wind problem, but climbing at almost Vy in sink and approaching Vno in lift. Luckily VFR and just say to heck with maintaining a set altitude. Just can't do that inside the local Class B.
 
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