From the Sydney Morning Herald link:
That’s quite an updraft.
I see a new extreme sport – extreme paragliding. You build the lightest-weight-possible thermal insulated body armor, an oxygen tank and helmet. Then go storm chasing.
43 mph. Up.
Actual storm clouds have been known to build at speeds of 8000 /feet/minute. Or about 90 MPH. ( that is straight up )
A couple of biz jet jockeys I know have told me that more than once they have run into storms that would build faster than their jets could climb.
:: If people submerged in icy water for long periods can revive with no harm, then to do so exposed to freezing temps at altitude with some oxygen is not really so surprising IMO.
YMMV
:eek: How ‘frequently’ is ‘frequently’?
That is some scary-ass stuff. My hat is off to her, for having come through that and lived, and safely landed her glider afterwards. Holy freakin’ hell.
I remember reading about a 1950s U.S. Marine aviator who had to eject from his jet fighter after a malfunction in the middle of a severe storm. The high winds actually blew him much higher than he’d been at the time he punched out, and he saw lightning crackling all around him. He finally landed far downrange of where his plane crashed. Only suffered minor injuries, IIRC.
That was definitely my favorite part of the article as well. Australia is awesome!
Daniel
So - the plans to learn to paraglide this fall…maybe put those on hold?
Just avoid storms and wild predatory birds.
Often enough that every pilot knows what “cloud suck” is, and what to do if you are caught in it. As I said, that was an extreme example, and most pilots who get sucked into clouds survive, but it can be a harrowing experience.
Agreed. She was interviewed on the news and seemed quite chirpy about it. A little bruised from the hailstones, and her ears were bandaged, but otherwise fine.
Wild eagles, huh.
As opposed to docile eagles?
I don’t know about eagles, but I have had redtail hawks dive at the small Cessna I was flying.
When flying in the vicinity of eagles (and we actually do have a nesting pair near an airport I frequent) I try to give them plenty of clearance. The hawks were scary enough - I don’t need a bald eagle crashing into my lap!
My dad used to paraglide. He and a few other older fellas took it up after the age of 50 and would launch off the coastal bluffs near the mouth of the Mattole River.
Some who experience a mid-life crisis buy a sports car or have an affair with a younger woman. The crusty mountain men of the Mattole Valley run off of cliffs.
The flock of wild turkeys at my “home” airport sometimes interfere with operations. Haven’t caused any crashes so far, but there’ve been a few go-arounds and aborted takeoffs. They’ve been scarce lately, though - speculation centers on the coyotes in the area.