Flying clouds

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The term cloud flight is mostly used in connection with gliding .

Normally glider is operated outside of clouds, that is, under visual flight conditions (engl. Visual meteorological conditions , VMC ) or according to visual flight rules (engl. Visual flight rules , VFR). If the glider is equipped with the necessary instruments and the pilot has the appropriate license, the flight can also be continued into the cloud. Orientation then takes place exclusively with the help of the instruments. Gyroscopic instruments are indispensable.

The idea of ​​cloud flight is as follows: A cumulus cloud usually forms over an updraft . The updraft does not stop at the cloud base, but usually becomes even stronger within the cloud. In visual flight, however, the climb must be stopped at the latest at the cloud base . With the help of the cloud flight, the flight into the cloud can be continued and the whole cloud can be climbed. This gives additional height, which can be particularly useful for subsequently gliding through larger areas with no upwind.

With today's high-performance aircraft, flying in the clouds is hardly necessary any more to successfully carry out a flight. On the contrary, the disadvantages often outweigh the disadvantages: updraft bands are more difficult to detect, lower glide performance due to wing icing, great loss of altitude in the downdraft zone around the cloud. Accordingly, cloud flying is no longer widespread. It is mostly only used by lovers just for the fun of it.

The regulations regarding cloud flying with gliders are very different from country to country. This applies to all areas, i.e. training and licensing of the pilot, mandatory minimum equipment of the glider and procedures to be used in flight.

Examples

  • Great Britain : No license required, no approval required.
  • Germany , Switzerland : Special cloud flight license, cloud flight only permitted with approval from air traffic control.
  • USA : Full IFR powered flight license required, cloud flying only permitted with approval from air traffic control.
  • France, Italy : prohibited