Memaloose
Worth noting is that the Memaloose airstrip overlooks the deepest canyon in North America, that being Hells Canyon, which was carved from the mountains during glaciation a few million years ago and now basins the mighty Snake River as it flows toward the Columbia River. Also Memaloose is a forest service airstrip that is 3,300 feet long. It sits atop a mountain ridge with its southern end dropping precipitously into Hells Canyon, which at this point is more than a mile deep.
Alpine Soaring Adventure pilots enjoy Memaloose for its truly spectacular soaring conditions, where thermals often literally boil out of the canyon at rates of 1000 feet a minute or more. Consequently, when gliders are thrown from the hillside into the depths of the canyon the pilot is then commanding his/her aircraft to search for rising air. Once found, (often the aircraft flies into the top of the thermal not the bottom) the challenge then changes to keeping the glider/sailplane in the thermal as it rises from below to sometimes very great heights above the airstrip. Once satiated with RC soaring the pilot then lands the model on the airstrip, much to his/her satisfaction and the admiring praises of all flight witnesses. It is piloting joy that is not matched by any other kind of flying. |
