I have researched ultralight usage here in WY and at our high altitude (6,500-8,000' in the dunes), the time when vital lift is favorable is during occurrences of higher humidity like in the early morning and evening. Then, there are days like yesterday when our winds here were over 50 all day..plenty of lift!
I have a small airplane lined up to video tape areas to do future ground searches. Air search benefit will be to identify concentrations of parabolic dunes, and concentrations of playa lakes (especially near roads) to cover on the ground.
With high wind possibilities and attaining lift in a rarefied atmosphere, I have bypassed ultra lights here. Our local balloonists here also comment on no control of speed or direction and by the time they get out to the "good" areas, they are headed for the ground to shut down, or are headed for Nebraska.
Balloons take a group to support them and don't carry many.
A motor bike, or a four wheeler would be more practicle...but don't rule out the good old horse.
Ranchers and herders have used ultralights with some and not some success here for 20 years. Maybe a helicopter is the answer....Yesterday a large ski boat kite and a pickup truck would have worked.
Wax wings,
Dave F.
Tom wrote:
I have seen Bob Hagg doing with his ultralight to look for meteorites, it
was on TV but cant remember what was the progam called.
Tom PerryI don't think air balloons would have much success, as they
cannot be steered. Without directional control, an appropriate
search pattern cannot be executed. However, an ultralight with a long
wingspan on the other hand might work if the airspeed were
slow enough to allow detailed ground observation.
I would be curious about its usefulness if anyone does try using
an ultralight.
Tom Kilcrease
----- Original Message -----
From: Robert Verish
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 2:41 AM
To: Meteorite-list Meteoritecentral
Subject: [meteorite-list] Sand Dunes and Meteorites
A number of people (most of them are on this List)
have discussed with me their interest in utilizing hot
air balloons and ultra-lights, in their efforts at
meteorite recovery, over broad areas of sand dunes
here in Southern California. Although I'm not very
optimistic about their prospects in sand dune fields,
I wouldn't want to dis courage their efforts. After
all, the area between sand dunes can be considered a
"blow-out" area. And besides, Michael Cottingham
found his Kermit stones in a Texas dune field.
The locality that most of these individuals have
selected as being the most promising/pristine, is the
Algodones Dunes in Imperial County. But just today,
the LA Times ran an article announcing that this very
Dune Field will be "under consideration for opening up
49,000 acres to the general public" (meaning, to
off-road vehicular traffic).
More details here:
U.S. Seeks to Reopen Area to Off-Roaders -
Desert Plan would overturn Clinton decision that
curbed use of sand dunes.
<http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000022361mar28.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines
%2Dcalifornia>
This post serves as a "heads-up" to those individuals
that were interested in surveying this "pristine" area
from the air, that their time may be running out!
On the other hand, they may have the opportunity to
canvass the area by dune buggy, but they better plan
on getting there early. Some weekends have as many as
200,000 ORVs flying over the crests of these dunes
from every direction in the "general use (OHV) area".
But plans are to only allow entry to 500 vehicles per
weekend (in the former wilderness area).
Here's wishing you all good luck, but I'll be sticking
to the firmer, flatter terrain.
:-) Bob V.
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