Question for the glider pilots..

Kritchlow

Kritchlow

Final Approach
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Kritchlow
I don't have exact knowledge of how it works, but I have read glider pilots can fly IFR.

1) is that true?
2) is there a glider IR?
3) what are the rules? Obviously you cannot maintain an altitude. How the heck does the system work??

These are my direct questions, but would love any and all info on the subject.

Thanx!!
 
There is no glider IR you need Airplane IR. And a properly equipped glider of course. Used to be done for cloud flying but that isn't really faster and doesn't gain anything. Now it is done for wave record runs down the Sierras. They get block altitudes but usually don't need much unless they run into a snag. I believe it is all or almost all flown in VMC and the IR part is for cruising above FL 18. Here is one such flight http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=4195856
 
61.57 specifies Recency of experience for IFR flight in gliders. An Instrument-Airplane rating is sufficient.

Unpowered gliders are not subject to the instrument/equipment requirements of 91.205, and block altitudes would be the requirement.

Others can speak better than I can about how wave windows and other operations above FL180 work.
 
Wave windows are different those are stationary blocks of airspace set up by LOA opened by phone and the gliders and pilots going up and down in them are not IR rated or equipped.
 
All you need is an Airplane IR? Why do people get Multi Add to their IR then?
 
Phoenix said:
There is no glider IR you need Airplane IR. And a properly equipped glider of course. Used to be done for cloud flying but that isn't really faster and doesn't gain anything. Now it is done for wave record runs down the Sierras. They get block altitudes but usually don't need much unless they run into a snag. I believe it is all or almost all flown in VMC and the IR part is for cruising above FL 18. Here is one such flight http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=4195856
Click to expand...
Quite a flight in quite a sailplane.

Back in the day (90s) when I raced out of Minden, we had to carry sealed barographs to prove that we didn't get into the Class A. We could go no higher than 17.5k. The cool part is that on several days we could easily get higher than that, in thermals no less. Not a big deal for Sierra regulars but a real eye opener for this Jersey guy.

On one of the days I got underneath a big fast growing cumulus cloud and could only avoid going above the 17.5k ceiling by descending at redline. Just before I got from underneath of it I started getting hit by hail from below!

Big fun in the high seas of the Sierras!
 
Captain said:
All you need is an Airplane IR? Why do people get Multi Add to their IR then?
Click to expand...

They don't. They get a multi add on rating and if they don't do the single engine approach and single engine flight by reference to instruments, they get a limitation limiting them to VFR ops with the multi.
 
Are there alternate missed approach procedures for gliders?
 
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