Ritt auf der “Jahrhundertwelle” | Soaring Cafe
Spectacular is an understatement. Unlike most mountain waves (who don't go past 2 or 3 times the height of the mountain in question), these reach extreme altitudes. While the Eiffel mountain range doesn't extend past 2200 ft or so, they reached FL240, with pretty extreme climb ratios too.
I've once encountered something alike. The combination of dunes and a very strong wind (20+ kts) gave laminar lift. Very weak (50 fpm, so a total airmass speed of 110 fpm), but to a surprisingly high altitude. The dunes weren't much higher than 150 ft, but I encountered this at app 1500 ft.
In a flight in the Champagne region (highest hills are about 600 ft above terrain) we encountered wave where it was even more unlikely, on cumulus-clouds. Perfectly laminar air, and while the cumulus base was at 6500 ft, we managed to climb to 12,000 ft.
Apparently, the right combination of wind gradient, adiabatic line and wind direction can do that.
Here's a picture, we ended up in several newspapers too:
Spectacular is an understatement. Unlike most mountain waves (who don't go past 2 or 3 times the height of the mountain in question), these reach extreme altitudes. While the Eiffel mountain range doesn't extend past 2200 ft or so, they reached FL240, with pretty extreme climb ratios too.
I've once encountered something alike. The combination of dunes and a very strong wind (20+ kts) gave laminar lift. Very weak (50 fpm, so a total airmass speed of 110 fpm), but to a surprisingly high altitude. The dunes weren't much higher than 150 ft, but I encountered this at app 1500 ft.
In a flight in the Champagne region (highest hills are about 600 ft above terrain) we encountered wave where it was even more unlikely, on cumulus-clouds. Perfectly laminar air, and while the cumulus base was at 6500 ft, we managed to climb to 12,000 ft.
Apparently, the right combination of wind gradient, adiabatic line and wind direction can do that.
Here's a picture, we ended up in several newspapers too:
