Glider 500km triangle flight

July 18, 2009 - Bruno Vassel IV flies a 500km FAI triangle in his ASW-20B 15-meter glider over Utah and talks about the conditions and decisions during flight. Shows high altitude strong thermals (lift still going up at 1,800 fpm at 18,000!) and flying through desert virga to get to a turn point. More info visit http://phoebus.vassel.com

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Bruno
• Vassel
• soaring
• sailplane
• glider
• gliding
• asw20
• asw-20
• thermal
• thermalling
• utah

[909kick]

I see you punched through class A airspace...which is awesome by the way. Do you have some sort of waiver from the local FSDO to allow you to do that?

Great videos...keep them coming!

ps - I am jealous you got to drive a Ferrari...that is one item on my bucket list.

[bviv]

@909kick As for the Ferrari, it was just a complete blast. :) Are you going to the soaring convention in Reno early February this year? Bruno

[bviv]

@909kick My GPS altitude shows above 18k but if you look at the altimeter, it clearly shown at 4:14 I never went above and the difference between the instruments. My GPS altitude in this glider always showed between 500-800 ft. higher than my pressure altitude. It took an aggressive push down but it worked. Check again. I would not be posting busting Class A on youtube. Since I have a transponder I have always been real careful to stay below. Bruno

[starozy]

You stated 500 mile course in audio, but description is 500 km. km is correct?

What is the device on mounted on top of the instrument panel? Looks like a radar detector :)

[bviv]

@starozy If I said miles I wasn't thinking. km's is correct. :) The little device is a collision avoidance system to keep me away from the big jets flying around my area. Take care, Bruno

[tobihei1]

i look forward to our next season in germany nearby berlin *,*

[bviv]

@tobihei1 I dream of coming over there and flying in Germany! Some day for sure. thanks for watching. Bruno

[markramina]

How i wish to be flying right now, instead of sitting here in front of the computer :)

[bviv]

Just glue on a wide angle lens right onto the camera lens housing. It works! Just be prepared when your wife sees what you did to her camera... ;)

[909kick]

@bviv Nope. Sounds like fun though. I got a small taste of soaring a couple of years ago at Hemet Airport here in southern CA. But the geniuses at Riverside County shut down the operation...even though they had no right to. The airport was receiving Federal funding. Slight oversight. Needless to say the operation moved out before this was publicly known. Oh well...maybe some day the operation will return.

[tobihei1]

@bviv you're welcome in Dessau at any time :D

[bviv]

@marc8243 That way my SeeYou Mobile glider program telling me that I was not centered in the thermal because I was too busy being distracted trying to video and talk. :) Thanks for watching and your interest. Bruno