Bob Faris

9/12/2003 Nebraska altitude record

...this flight was made in a thermal wave system. I got off of tow fairly low in strong thermal conditions from Owl Canyon with a declared start point in Nebraska with the intention of setting several state records. The flight out to Nebraska was made mostly in pure thermal lift. The cloud bands were moving to the east with a N/S alignment. The initial wave propagation was probably from the continental divide to the west. After getting to the start point, I was able to climb in a mix of thermals and wave to reach the record altitude. I thought that returning to Owl Canyon against the strong west wind was going to be difficult, but I was able to climb enough in each wave to make the jump across to the next wave above the cloud lines. It was an interesting day and I haven't seen the same conditions since. I think the most unique part was that the entire wave system moved to the east, rather than staying fixed over the ground as it normally does in this area.