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1900 miles without an engine !!
Pilot Gordon Boettger and copilot Bruce Campbell departed Minden Tahoe Airport (KMEV) at 0230 PDT on 19 June 2023 utilizing Night Vision Goggles (NVG’s) and after 17hr40min aloft in their glider flew the longest flight ever done in a sailplane with a distance of 3058 km or 1900 sm. Gordon utilized mountain wave to climb up to FL257 and he has a special clearance that allows him to climb into the flight levels with the approval of Air Traffic Control. The sailplane is not pressurized and has no… (www.weglide.org) Altro...
An amazing epic! I had hoped to read about the cockpit temerature and how they dealt with that, but didn't see it. Anyone out there know about that?
The temps outside are up to -30 on these flights. Cockpit temps are relatively tolerable during the day because the of the "greenhouse" effect, however the temps when there is no sun are very low. I don't recall what it is in the cockpit but well below freezing.
Likewise what's this special clearance to FL230 without supplemental O2?
We did have supplemental O2 during the entire flight as altitudes reaches as high as FL257
Hey Gordon-- will you be at Airventure? Would love to have you and/or Bruce on our show In The Hangar. (www.youtube.com/takingoff )
Hi Dan, neither I nor Bruce had plans on going this year but that might change. If so, I'd love to be on your show.
Can you reach out to me dan at s-films dot com? <-- spelled out to avoid the spam monkeys.
sent you an email
