Wave Soaring – Flying in the Wave

Flying in the Wave

Once the wave has been contacted, the best techniques for utilizing the lift depend on the extent of the lift (especially in the direction along the ridge or mountain range producing the wave) and the strength of the wind. The lift may initially be weak. In such circumstances, be patient and stay with the initial slow climb. Patience is usually rewarded with better lift as the climb continues. At other times, the variometer may be pegged at 1,000 fpm directly after release from tow.

If the wind is strong enough (40 knots or more), find the strongest portion of the wave and point into the wind, and adjust speed so that the glider remains in the strong lift. The best lift is found along the upwind side of the rotor cloud or just upwind of any lenticulars. In the best-case scenario, the required speed is close to the glider’s minimum sink speed. In quite strong winds, it may be necessary to fly faster than minimum sink to maintain position in the best lift. Under those conditions, flying slower allows the glider to drift downwind (fly backward over the ground) and into the down side of the wave. This can be a costly mistake since it is difficult to penetrate back into the strong headwind. When the lift is strong, it is easy to drift downwind while climbing into stronger winds aloft, so it pays to be attentive to the position relative to rotor clouds or lenticulars. If no clouds exist, special attention is needed to judge wind drift by finding nearby ground references. It may be necessary to increase speed with altitude to maintain position in the best lift. Often the wind is strong, but not quite strong enough for the glider to remain stationary over the ground so that the glider slowly moves upwind out of the best lift. If this occurs, turn slightly from a direct upwind heading, drift slowly downwind into better lift, and turn back into the wind before drifting too far. [Figure 10-36]

Often, the wave lift is not perfectly stationary over the ground since small changes in windspeed and/or stability can alter the wavelength of the lee wave within minutes. If lift begins to decrease while climbing in the wave, one of these things has occurred: the glider is nearing the top of the wave, the glider has moved out of the best lift, or the wavelength of the lee wave has changed. In any case, it is time to explore the area for better lift, and it is best to search upwind first. Searching upwind first allows the pilot to drift downwind back into the up part of the wave if he or she is wrong. Searching downwind first can make it difficult or impossible to contact the lift again if sink on the downside of the wave is encountered. In addition, caution is needed to avoid exceeding the glider’s maneuvering speed or rough-air redline, since a penetration from the down side of the wave may put the glider back in the rotor. [Figure 10-37]

If the winds are moderate (20 to 40 knots), and the wave extends along the ridge or mountain range for a few miles, it is best to fly back and forth along the wave lift while crabbing into the wind. This technique is similar to slope soaring, using the rotor cloud or lenticular as a reference. All turns should be into the wind to avoid being on the down side of the wave or back into the rotor. Once again, it is easy to drift downwind into sink while climbing higher, and searching for better lift should be done upwind first. When making an upwind turn to change course 180°, remember that the heading change will be less, depending on the strength of the wind. Note the crab angle needed to stay in lift on the first leg, and assume that same crab angle after completing the upwind turn. This prevents the glider from drifting too far downwind upon completing the upwind turn. With no cloud, ground references are used to maintain the proper crab angle, and avoid drifting downwind out of the lift. While climbing higher into stronger winds, it may become possible to transition from crabbing back and forth to a stationary upwind heading. [Figure 10-38]

Weaker winds (15 to 20 knots) sometimes require different techniques. Lee waves from smaller ridges can form in relatively weak winds of approximately 15 knots. Wave lift from larger mountains rapidly decreases when climbing to a height where winds aloft diminish. As long as the lift area is big enough, use a technique similar to that used in moderate winds. Near the wave top, there sometimes remains only a small area that still provides lift. In order to attain the maximum height, fly shorter figure 8 patterns within the remaining lift. If the area of lift is so small that consistent climb is not possible, fly a series of circles with an occasional leg into the wind to avoid drifting too far downwind. Another possibility is an oval-shaped pattern—fly straight into the wind in lift and, as it diminishes, fly a quick 360° turn to reposition. These last two techniques do not work as well in moderate winds, and not at all in strong winds since it is too easy to be downwind of the lift and into heavy sink. [Figure 10-39]

In the discussion thus far, a climb in the primary wave has been assumed. It is also possible to climb in the secondary or tertiary lee wave (if existing on a given day) and then penetrate into the next wave upwind. The success of this depends on wind strength, clouds, the intensity of sink downwind of wave crests, and the performance of the glider. Depending on the height attained in the secondary or tertiary lee wave, a trip through the rotor of the next wave upwind is a distinct possibility. Caution is needed if penetrating upwind at high speed. The transition into the downwind side of the rotor can be as abrupt as on the upwind side, so speed should be reduced at the first hint of turbulence. In any case, expect to lose a surprising amount of altitude while penetrating upwind through the sinking side of the next upwind wave. [Figure 10-40]

If a quick descent is needed or desired, the sink downwind of the wave crest can be used. Sink can easily be twice as strong as lift encountered upwind of the crest. Eventual descent into downwind rotor is also likely. Sometimes the space between a rotor cloud and overlying lenticulars is inadequate and a transition downwind cannot be accomplished safely. In this case, a crosswind detour may be possible if the wave is produced by a relatively short ridge or mountain range. If clouds negate a downwind or crosswind departure from the wave, a descent on the upwind side of the wave crest is needed. Spoilers or dive brakes may be used to descend through the updraft, followed by a transition under the rotor cloud and through the rotor. A descent can be achieved by moving upwind of a very strong wave lift if spoilers or dive brakes alone do not allow an adequately fast descent. A trip back through the rotor is at best unpleasant. At worst, it can be dangerous if the transition back into the rotor is done with too much speed. In addition, strong wave lift and lift on the upwind side of the rotor may make it difficult to stay out of the rotor cloud. This wave descent requires a good deal of caution and emphasizes the importance of an exit strategy before climbing too high in the wave, keeping in mind that conditions and clouds can rapidly evolve during the climb.

Some of the dangers and precautions associated with wave soaring have already been mentioned. Those and others are summarized below.

• If any signs of hypoxia appear, check the oxygen system and immediately begin a descent to lower altitudes below which oxygen is not needed. Do not delay!
• Eventually, a pilot becomes cold at altitude regardless of how warmly the pilot is dressed. Descend well before it becomes uncomfortably cold.
• Rotor turbulence can be severe or extreme. Caution is needed on tow and when transitioning from smooth wave flow (lift or sink) to rotor. Rotors near the landing area can cause strong shifting surface winds of 20 or 30 knots. Wind shifts up to 180° sometimes occur in less than a minute at the surface under rotors.
• Warm, moist exhaled air can cause frost on the canopy, restricting vision. Opening air vents may alleviate the problem or delay frost formation. Clear vision panels may also be installed. If frost cannot be controlled, descend before frost becomes a hazard.
• In wet waves, those associated with a great deal of cloud, beware of the gaps closing beneath the glider. If trapped above cloud, a benign spiral mode is an option, but only if this mode has been previously explored and found stable for the glider.
• Know the time of actual sunset. At legal sunset, bright sunshine is still found at 25,000 feet while the ground below is already quite dark. Even at an average 1,000 fpm descent, it takes 20 minutes to lose 20,000 feet.

Caution: Flights under a rotor cloud can encounter high sink rates and should be approached with extreme caution.

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