Glider Racing into Thunderstorm

31 minutes of crazy cockpit footage of Day 1 in the 15-meter Gliding Nationals for 2011 out of Logan, Utah. The first turn point took us right into a huge thunderstorm. A few smart pilots flew to the east of the storm and touched the turn cylinder. The rest of us did not see that option and flew right into the belly of the beast. Well more than half of the gliders got caught in the storm and landed out.

This video shows pilot Bruno Vassel IV - B4 flying a highly modified ASW20B into a small gap in the rain trying to touch the turn cylinder and get out. Shows dozen of lightning strikes WAY too close, really cool looking rain, massive sink trying to get out, getting very low over the mountains while still in the storm in heavy storm front turbulence and rain, radio chatter of other gliders landing out at both airports and in fields in the middle of the storm, a lightning strike right next to the glider and when all hope was almost lost hitting an 11+ knot thermal (1,100 feet per minute lift) that took the glider back up to cloud base and saved the day.

Yes, a lot of people are going to criticize the decision to even fly into this storm. You are probably right. I wanted to share this because it shows how flying into a "gap" in a thunderstorm might look not all that bad but the storm can quickly close in on you and things go from bad to worse much quicker than you would like. Hope you both enjoy and learn to stay away from thunderstorms while soaring. :) Take care, Bruno.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• glider
• gliding
• soaring
• racing
• flying
• thunderstorm
• lightning
• rain
• mountains
• Logan
• Utah
• 2011
• 15
• meter
• nationals
• Bruno
• Vassel
• IV
• ASW20

[mechan9]

Amazing video. Around the 17 minute mark I thought the pilot was going to have to ditch.

[bviv]

@mechan9 At around 17 minutes I was 90% sure I was going to have to as well. Wow - what a ride! :) Thanks for watching. Bruno

[TheKeyWestian]

What is that shift-thing to your left?

[bviv]

@TheKeyWestian It is the flaps. In gliders we often use flaps much more than in airplanes. Thanks for watching. Bruno

[bolowke666]

crazy...

I'm happy that you were in that situation and not me.

There where so much noise and it shaked you so extremly but you were concentrated. I do not know if I could bring the glider out of this weather like you did.

How was the landing after that ?

There have to be extremly squalls near the ground.

[bviv]

@bolowke666 Thanks for watching. I was able to continue on with the task and landed back at the Logan airport 3 hours and a few hundred miles later. Glider racing and what you can accomplish on a single flight still just blows my mind. I am glad I didn't have to land around there because you are right, it would have been pretty nasty on the ground. Take care. Bruno

[debink1990]

The most amazing gliding video I have ever seen!

[DivinityzBeAsT]

this is amazing :)

[Bairindeeair]

The wingspan measured in meters. 15 meters equals around 16 yards

[TheKeyWestian]

What does the "15-meter" mean?

Nice video, man that was wild!

[buellsteven]

Oh boy!Skillful or reckless?I don't judge over that.

These weather conditions can be "dangerous".

But you keep focussed and you have my respect ! Spectaculair video for sure.

[merv148]

hitting a 10knt thermal is like climaxing in orgasm

[oava]

This is what gliding is all about, not that " is the feeling of flying like a bird", if you want to fly like a bird, jump off a buiding and flap your arms.

[fenerli342]

2 disilike crash by the storm!