Just spotted some posts about gliders, which included [snip]
As for flying through the clouds it's worth being aware that gliders do occasionally take "cloud climbs". The ONLY requirement (apart from Rule 29) for a glider, in the UK, to comply with when flying in cloud is that "No glider shall enter cloud unless all its occupants are wearing parachutes and have been instructed in their use"
[snip]
and [snip] I must admit that's new to me - I didn't realise that gliders would fly blind like this!
A bit worrying though - what do they do to keep separation from other gliders? Are they just trusting to luck??
[snip]
and
[snip]
Yup
======================
To clarify a little, (a) almost all UK glider cloud climbs are in isolated cu or (rarely these days) cb, not in embedded cb - we are unlikely to be flying far on days when it is overcast with embedded cb.
(b) It is usual, though not mandatory, to call out on the UK glider cloud flying frequency (130.4 - for gliders only, though others can listen out) before entry, to see if anyone else is there. Further calls are made if others are nearby, and a call when returning to VMC. There are some conventions, e.g. refer position to places on 1:500,000 chart. If more than one is in the same cloud, height separation from each other is maintained, with the aid of further periodic calls - though in my experience it is rare to get more than one in the same cloud these days.
For what its worth, cloud flying is anyway much less done nowadays than hitherto - high performance gliders need it less and are also less suited to it.
Chris N.