This is a fairly long (46 min+adds) video about the search in the "Nevada triangle" for Steve Fossett. It is well done and covers the dangers of mountain waves and (lightly) how they form coming off the SN mtns. Talks about other wrecks and area 51 also. Not everything in it completely 'adds up'-but well worth watching.
It highlights both Gump's front and back yards......
Pretty large playground, Gump.....

http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/tv/The-Tru ... ST_hero_TV

Yeah, people as a rule really underestimate just how harsh this high desert/mountain terrain is here in Western/Central Nevada. I've been down here eight years now from the Arctic, and have explored a huge amount of territory on four-wheeler and by air (and covered a lot back in the early 80's when I was with Care Flight out of Reno). But, it's amazing how much I haven't seen yet, and just how tough it is. You don't really get the feel for it if you stick to the major roads.

It was quite the experience being at Ground Zero for the Fossett search. Between the chest pounding "old pros" from the different SAR groups jockeying for position on TV, and the spandex clad "elite adventure athletes" screaming like little girls because they had a wasp land on them while on Mt Grant, and giving up after a couple days, it was a good spot to sit in the hangar and drink beers.

As for Fossett's crash. Like I posted before. I was on the Flying M ranch the day he took off, riding four-wheelers north of Bodie along the ridgelines at about 9K. It was blowing so hard you couldn't stand up straight, while on the valley floor there wasn't a breath of air. I commented to Reno Chick that I was really glad not to be up flying in that crap that day. One day later we rode into Bridgeport for a beer and BS session at the Inn. And there the Ace of the base was all over TV for being missing.

Gump

PS: I think Bumper's on this video too!

I remembered that day as still wind so in my mind ruled out waves and rotors. When Gump pointed out the winds at 9k, I finally understood what happened to Fossett. I still don't understand why however.

chance wrote:I still don't understand why however.

Didn't the line from Top Gun say something like, "Your ego writing checks your body (skill level) can't cash..."

Gump

The same day that happened we were on our way from Yuba City CA to Salt lake via Pyramid Lake with a stop at Battle Mountain. We encountered no real turb at 9,500ft. Heard about the dissapearance when we got back home the next day.

hicountry wrote:The same day that happened we were on our way from Yuba City CA to Salt lake via Pyramid Lake with a stop at Battle Mountain. We encountered no real turb at 9,500ft.

Exactly, and this is why NV (and elsewhere in the mountains) is so similar in many ways to flying in AK. Go a hundred miles and a few mountain ranges away, and you're in an entirely different set of weather conditions with no way to get decent micro-climate wx reporting. Only way to see what you got is to poke your nose in it.

Gump

"go poke your nose in it"

now I understand why old grumpy Gump often sounds like he has had his nose all bent out of shape.

GumpAir wrote:

hicountry wrote:The same day that happened we were on our way from Yuba City CA to Salt lake via Pyramid Lake with a stop at Battle Mountain. We encountered no real turb at 9,500ft.

Exactly, and this is why NV (and elsewhere in the mountains) is so similar in many ways to flying in AK. Go a hundred miles and a few mountain ranges away, and you're in an entirely different set of weather conditions with no way to get decent micro-climate wx reporting. Only way to see what you got is to poke your nose in it.

Gump

I very much understand "Localized Weather". One most notable is the difference between Cheyenne WY and Ft Collins CO, either driving or flying. About 40 miles between the two, completely different wx and winds!

Trimtab wrote:now I understand why old grumpy Gump often sounds like he has had his nose all bent out of shape.

Grumpy??? I like to think curmudgeon has a much more refined ring to it than grumpy!!!!

And I imagine a lot of that is from poking my nose into a lot of strange places

G (r) ump

I fly the area almost ever day. It's remarkable what you see out there. Counting the wild horses is like counting moose. They are everywhere. The big difference between NV and AK aside from the sea level factor is that almost every place you land in NV you can see a road or know there is a highway or boy Scout troop close by. Both environments can be harsh. Surviving in either would also be rough. Rattle snake and quail or ptarmigan, salmon and porcupIne...not to mention the AK state bird and it's ability to suck all the blood out of you. Not certain which triangle would be better to have a mishap..

The Fosset deal was not good. Winds in the mnts are not forgiving...

Thanks for sharing! It's truly amazing how dynamic weather can be isn't it? Cool technology they used to see the wind conditions on the day of his crash .... I never knew they had the capability of reviewing wind conditions with such granularity.

Don

Has anybody ever said if the seat belt was still latched in the reckage or not? That may give some insight if he walked away or not. Just a thought.
46tcrft

He slammed into the mtn hard enough (from the px of the damage to the plane) that he was dead from trauma immediately. Some bear or other wildlife hauled him away from the crash site on their 4 feet......

IMHO
lc

PS Interesting that there was even a burn at the crash and still it didn't attract any attention.... Now that is remote!